Heartfelt Apologies
by Chibi B-channie
Summary: After a tragic occurence one night, Bakura starts to feel guilty about what he's done to Ryou and tries to make it up to him. Will Ryou forgive Bakura? And where do Malik and Marik fit in? Pairings: BRMM CHAPTER 12 UP! (Dedicated to Celestialic)
1. Chapter 1

Heartfelt Apologies  
  
Chibi B: Hello! ^_^ I'm here with another fanfic! *dances* I know, you're probably all wondering when I'm going to finish TOL and PA. I'm working on them! Really! But this idea has been on my mind for a while, and I just had to get it down. It's a lot longer than all my other fics too.  
  
Taski: And a lot stupider!  
  
Chibi B: *hits him on head with frying pan* ^_^ You'll also notice that there is some Japanese in here, unlike my other two fics. Well, you see, I've been teaching myself Japanese for a while now, and I just decided not to use it in my last two fics, and add some in here. ^^; I'm weird, I know. Anways, I hope you enjoy this fic! It won't be updated as often as TOL and PA because in this one the chapters are going to be reaaally looong! Okay, I'll shut up now. ^^;  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
Warnings: Rape, Yaoi, OOCness.I think that's all.  
  
Translations:  
  
Onegai - Please  
  
Yameru - Stop  
  
Gomen nasai - I'm sorry  
  
Hai - Yes  
  
Iie - No  
  
Daijoubu desu ka - Are you all right?  
  
Daijoubu - It's all right.  
  
Arigatou - Thank you  
  
Baka - Idiot/Moron/Fool/etc.  
  
Kowappa - Brat  
  
Konbanwa - Good evening  
  
Oyasumi nasai - Good night  
  
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Chapter 1  
  
Why?  
  
The boy screamed as he was thrust into again, tears mixing with blood, pooling down his face in crimson rivers. He struggled against the binds that held his hands to the bedpost, causing them to begin to bleed. The figure above him groaned in ecstasy, and continued his thrusting motions, causing the one below him to cry out in pain once again.  
  
Why was this happening?  
  
"Onegai!" The boy begged. "Yameru! You're hurting me! Onegai!" He sobbed and cried when the other paid him no heed, only increasing his harsh movements, the bed creaking violently underneath them. The young one screamed. He screamed until his throat tore and bled from the force of his yells.  
  
Why him?  
  
He let out a whimper; slightly choking on the coppery substance in his mouth, as the dark figure above him thrust in one more time before releasing with a loud and repulsing moan. Tears continued to fall out of the boy's eyes as he stared at the ceiling above him, trying to take his mind off of what had happened to him.  
  
Why was it always him?  
  
The shadow collapsed onto the whimpering child, and fell asleep, his arms wrapped around the boy tightly, preventing him from escaping. He sat there, unable to move, barely breathing, and tried to calm himself down. But, for some reason, his tears refused to stop falling.  
  
Why was why the only question he could come up with?  
  
"Why Bakura . Why?" Was all Ryou could manage out, before slipping into blessed unconsciousness, but not before smelling the stench of alcohol on the other's breath.  
  
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Bakura woke up and stared around confused. What had happened? He sat up and moaned at the throbbing in his head. "Stupid hangovers," He muttered and peered his eyes open and stared blurrily around the room. "Why did I ever go to that bar . " He paused. Wait a minute; this was Ryou's room. What was he doing there? He heard a soft whimper underneath him, and looking below him he almost fainted in horror at what he saw. "Oh Ra .. What have I done?"  
  
Ryou lay beneath him, his hands tied up to the bedpost, naked and bleeding. Dry tears mixed with dried up blood were evident on the younger boy's face. Bakura, sickened at the site, also noticed another substance besides blood dripping down the other's thighs. He quickly untied the youth, being careful with Ryou's raw and bleeding wrists.  
  
Ryou gave a soft moan opened his teary and blood coated eyes. When he saw Bakura, he flinched away from him, trying to get as far away from the other as possible. Bakura stared at him miserably as Ryou looked at him fearfully with his big doe brown eyes.  
  
"Ryou ." He spoke softly, trying not to alarm the other.  
  
"O-Onegai. Don't hurt me B-Bakura-sama." Ryou pleaded brokenly, trembling in fright. "Onega."  
  
Bakura's eyes watered at the pain and terror lacing the other's whispered voice. What had he done? Sure, he had beaten the boy before, both when he was drunk and sober, but never had he done this. To taint such innocence and purity was something that not even he himself could do willingly. He reached out to comfort Ryou, trying to express his guilt and regret, but the other cried out in fear and curled into a quivering ball, expecting to be hit. When nothing happened, Ryou cautiously opened his eyes, looking into Bakura's face, and was startled to see his yami crying.  
  
"Ryou, gomen nassai ." Bakura whispered mournfully, "I was drunk. I don't even remember anything about last night, and though that isn't very much of an excuse, I'm still so very sorry."  
  
Ryou looked up at him, confusion and mistrust shown in his eyes. What if it was a lie? What if he was just going to get hurt again? He didn't want to be in any more pain. Ryou let loose a small sob and hugged himself tightly. He didn't want to go through that anymore.  
  
"I'll leave." Bakura said suddenly, avoiding looking at Ryou. "Just say the word, and I'll go, and I won't come back."  
  
Ryou looked up at Bakura in surprise. This is what he wanted, wasn't it? He wanted Bakura out of his life, that way there would be no more pain. No more beatings. He could be happy that way, couldn't he? Ryou looked at Bakura, whose face showed a defeated and self-loathing expression. Having an internal battle within himself, Ryou made his choice. Everyone deserved second chances, right? Besides, even though what had happened, he still couldn't help but love his yami. He always had, even when Bakura was beating him for no reason.  
  
"Y-You don't have to go Bakura-sama." Ryou stuttered out quietly. Despite his decision, he was still deathly afraid of the Egyptian spirit. "U- Unless you want to leave."  
  
Bakura looked at Ryou in shock. He had just, raped him, and he was willing to give him another chance? He thought for sure that the other would use the opportunity to finally rid himself of his secret burden.  
  
"No, I don't want to leave." Bakura admitted truthfully, still astonished that Ryou didn't get rid of him. "But how can you even stand to be near me? I've hurt you! I've hurt you worse than I ever have before! I'm a sick bastard, you should hate me!" Bakura snarled angrily, and clenched his fists tightly. Ryou shrunk back a little at the venom in Bakura's words, but Bakura noticed and it only made him angrier with himself. "See? You're terrified of me! Why the hell would you let me stay?!"  
  
Ryou was silent, too scared to answer the question. Bakura took a deep breath, exhaled, then ran a hand through his hair, willing himself to calm down so as not to frighten the boy any further. After a few moments of silence, Ryou gathered his courage and spoke up.  
  
"Y-You said you were drunk, ne?" Ryou asked, not making eye contact with Bakura. "Then it, it wasn't all your fault. Y-You don't even remember doing it, so, so I can't really blame you, for what happened."  
  
Bakura shook his head, still shocked at how forgiving his light was. To think that he had done something he swore to never do, and took something that he promised to protect forever, made his stomach queasy. He was never too nice to Ryou, and so Ryou never really trusted him. But for some reason, Bakura wanted to gain his trust and forgiveness, and after what had happened, it would presume to be more difficult than he thought it would be before. Now, Ryou was not only scared of him, but petrified.  
  
He stared at the curled up hikari. He wanted nothing more than to gather him in his arms and soothe the other. Bakura wanted to whisper reassuring words to him, promising to protect him, and always be there, and that he loved him.  
  
Whoa, back up there, love? Since when did he love his hikari? He knew he always felt the obligation to protect his other, even though he pretty much failed at that job. He glanced at Ryou. He also knew that he was very much attracted to him. But love? Hearing a small whimper, his head shot towards Ryou, and looked at him worriedly.  
  
"Daijoubu desu ka?" Okay, that was a stupid question. The boy was raped for Ra's sake! And the man who did it to him was sitting right next to him. Of course he wasn't okay!  
  
"Y-You won't hurt me like this again. Will you?" Ryou asked frightfully, not daring to look him straight in the eye. Bakura had always slapped him whenever Ryou met him eye to eye.  
  
"Iie." Bakura answered, heartbroken. Ryou truly was afraid of him.  
  
"M-May I take a shower Bakura-sama?"  
  
"Just Bakura, no more sama." Bakura smiled at Ryou, but the other still wouldn't look at him, staring at the carpet instead. "And you don't need my permission anymore, if you want to take a shower, go ahead."  
  
Ryou nodded in understanding before attempting to stand up. He let out a small scream of agony as a white-hot bolt of pain jolted through his backside. Fresh tears spilled down his face, and his knees buckled, sending him crashing back to the bed, and onto Bakura.  
  
"G-Gomen nasai!" Ryou stuttered, scrambling off of Bakura and letting out another small shriek as the movement caused more pain than before.  
  
"Stop moving before you hurt yourself!" Bakura scolded, grabbing hold of Ryou's arm to steady him. Ryou winced and closed his eyes, memories replaying in his head about how last night Bakura grabbed him by his arm and painfully dragged him upstairs into his room.  
  
Bakura saw glimpses of the memory as well through the mind link. And felt even guiltier than he had before. He muttered an apology and let go of Ryou's arm. Ryou wobbled a little, biting his lip to stifle his whimpers, before falling once again. Bakura caught him in time though, and swept the startled hikari off his feet, carrying him to the bathroom.  
  
"B-Bakura-sama?" Ryou asked hesitantly. He was tense and slightly panicking in Bakura's arms.  
  
"Carrying you will be much easier, besides, I doubt you will be able to walk all the way there." Ryou winced and nodded, but still didn't relax in Bakura's arms. He still didn't quite trust the other. "And quit with the sama." Bakura added as an afterthought.  
  
When they reached the bathroom, Bakura carefully set Ryou down on the closed toilet seat, and started the shower, waiting until it warmed up. He folded his arms and leaned against the wall, thinking.  
  
"Ano ." Ryou mumbled quietly in a wavering voice. "Are you staying?"  
  
"Hai. You and I both know you won't be able to wash yourself with your wounds." Bakura stated, as if it was no big deal.  
  
\What's wrong with him? He's never acted this way before. Why would he care?\ Ryou thought to himself, \It's his fault I'm hurt in the first place. And, he's never cared before . \  
  
Bakura winced, hearing Ryou's private thought. It was true, he had been acting too kind and caring. But he felt that Ryou deserved some compassion from him, after all that he had done.  
  
Once the water was warm enough, he helped Ryou up and joined him in taking a shower. He quickly washed himself down as Ryou stood there with his eyes closed, basking in the effects of taking a relaxing shower.  
  
"Turn around."  
  
"Nani?" Ryou asked, bewildered.  
  
"I said, turn around." Bakura commanded gruffly. "I'm just going to wash your hair." He added after he saw the quick flash of fear shine in the other's eyes.  
  
Ryou bit his lip and nodded, facing the wall away from Bakura. Bakura grabbed the shampoo bottle, and massaged the substance into Ryou's hair gently. After a moment, he could feel the boy gradually begin to unwind, his muscled feeling less tense than they were before. He then rinsed off the shampoo, and repeated the same process with the conditioner, his nose crinkling at the smell of flowers both bottles were giving off.  
  
Once he was done with Ryou's hair, he started to wash the other's battered and bruised body tenderly, being careful when he came to one of Ryou's many injuries. Bakura once again began to feel guilty. Ryou had gone through so much pain because of him; he didn't deserve to have such a forgiving child as a hikari.  
  
As Bakura's soap lathered hands started to get lower, Ryou's once relaxed and soothed body tensed up immediately. He was practically radiating fear. Bakura whispered comforting words as Ryou whimpered and tightened his fists as Bakura quickly and gently cleansed him. Ryou let out a shaky breath when he was finished, relieved that it was over.  
  
Bakura climbed out of the shower and grabbed a fluffy white towel, and dried Ryou off lightly before grabbing one for himself. He then made Ryou once again sit down on the closed toilet seat before running out of the bathroom.  
  
Ryou sat there and stared off in space, deep in thought about how oddly his yami was acting. He was startled out of thinking when Bakura returned, fully dressed, with the first aid kit and a pair of comfortable pajamas for Ryou. He then began to carefully clean and bandage Ryou's wounds with Ryou staring at him with wide eyes.  
  
Bakura finished up wrapping Ryou's bloody wrists and stood, brushing his hands off on his pants. He helped Ryou get dressed before yet again gathering Ryou in his arms and carrying him, this time, to his own room. Bakura opened the door to his room, and set Ryou down on his satin colored sheets.  
  
"You rest, I'll go clean up the mess in your room." Bakura muttered, and left, shutting the lights off on his way out and closing the door.  
  
Ryou sat there, and blinked, then blinked again. Was that the same Bakura as before? The same cold, cruel, and demonic Bakura? No, it couldn't have been him. Ryou shook his head, grimacing at a newly formed headache. It hurt too much to think about it. Ryou snuggled down in the silky sheets, buried his head in the pillow, and fell into a deep sleep.  
  
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In the next room, Bakura was diligently cleaning Ryou's bed. He stripped off the bloody sheets and threw them in the trash, all the while removing the rope that bound Ryou's hands the night before, and wiping off the small amount of blood from the headboard.  
  
As he was busy cleaning, Bakura turned his thoughts once again to his hikari. Why had he felt such compassion towards him? He snorted to himself. He knew why, it was because he himself had gone through almost the same thing. Bakura would never wish for anyone to go through that. Not his best friends or his worst enemies.  
  
Right then, he swore to never hurt his hikari anymore. He would stop going to the bar and getting drunk, and would focus on gaining the younger one's trust, forgiveness and, maybe even love. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he missed the way Ryou used to smile, with his eyes sparkling with happiness for the world to see.  
  
That was all in the past though, before Bakura had come into his life and gained a physical body. Ryou never smiled that same smile any longer, and Bakura missed it. He sat down on the now made bed, resting his arms on his thighs with his head staring at the ground. Yes, he would now try to make things better with him and Ryou.  
  
His head shot up when he heard a shout of terror come from his room. He dashed to the bedroom containing Ryou and threw open the door to see what was wrong.  
  
Ryou's face donned a look of pain and helplessness as he twisted and writhed underneath the sheets. He was panting and sweating with a few tears spilling out of his closed eyes.  
  
"Onegai! Yameru! Bakura-sama!" He sobbed. "No more! Yameru!"  
  
Bakura rushed to his lights side and shook him awake, trying to calm him down. "Shh, Ryou it's only a nightmare! Wake up!"  
  
Ryou's eyes shot open and he screamed when he saw Bakura and struggled out of Bakura's hands. "Iie! No more! I'll, I'll be good, I promise!" He cried. "Just no more. Onegai." He sniffled, his sobs quieting down a little.  
  
Bakura's eyes held a pained look as he stared at his hikari, noticing how the other was avoiding eye contact. He delicately took the boy's chin and tilted his head upwards. Ryou's eyes were closed tightly, and his lips were trembling.  
  
"Ryou, open your eyes. Onegai?" Bakura asked gently.  
  
Ryou let loose another sniffle, and opened his eyes. Soft pain filled brown eyes met sympathetic yet harsher eyes.  
  
"I'm not going to hurt you." Bakura said firmly. "Never again. I swear it."  
  
Ryou nodded, and shifted his eyes to the floor. Bakura sighed, knowing that Ryou wasn't going to trust him any time soon.  
  
"Are you hungry?" Bakura asked, watching Ryou carefully. Ryou shook his head.  
  
"Iie Bakura-sama."  
  
Bakura gave a frustrated scowl at the sama, but let it pass. "Are you sure? You should really eat." Ryou shook his head once again. "Alright, do you want to sleep more?"  
  
"Iie!" Ryou yelled frantically, staring at Bakura with wide eyes. He then cringed and avoided his stare. "I'm afraid of the nightmares." He explained softly, expecting to be hit or made fun of by Bakura.  
  
"I understand." Bakura said shamefully, upset that it was his fault Ryou had nightmares. "Do you need anything?"  
  
Ryou, who was once again shocked by how Bakura was acting, only shook his head. Truth be told, all he wanted was for Bakura to stay with him. He would never request that though, he thought that if he did, Bakura would get angry again and hurt him.  
  
"Alright then, would you mind if I stayed for a while?" Bakura asked, already pulling up a chair and sitting down next to the bed. Ryou had finally calmed down and was once again snuggled deep into his blankets.  
  
"Iie Bakura-sama. I wouldn't mind." Ryou dared to give a small smile at him, in which Bakura surprised him greatly by returning the smile.  
  
Despite what Ryou had said earlier about not wanting to fall asleep because of nightmares, he did so anyways. Bakura stayed besides the bed, his hand clasped around Ryou's, admiring just how truly beautiful the teen was. A while later, the former thief fell into a light slumber as well, his hand still intertwined with Ryou's.  
  
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Ryou blinked his eyes opened and yawned sleepily. He sat up a little, wincing as he did so, and found out that something warm was sitting on top of his hand. Looking down, he blushed, seeing that it was Bakura's hand on his. Ryou looked at the sleeping yami, whose head was downward and was snoring slightly. If only was more relaxed and kind when he was awake. Ryou smiled thoughtfully. Bakura shifted, waking up, blinking at Ryou tiredly. He lifted his hands up, stretching, and Ryou flinched involuntarily. Seeing Ryou flinch, Bakura brought his hands down slowly and gave Ryou a sad smile.  
  
"Did you sleep well?" He asked.  
  
"Hai Bakura-sama, I slept fine." Ryou answered him with his head bowed.  
  
"You don't have to add the sama anymore." Bakura sighed as Ryou stayed silent, fiddling with his bed sheets. Bakura glanced at the clock on his wall. It was around dinner time already? "Okay, I'll go down and make us some dinner, alright?"  
  
"Hai Bakura-sama. Demo .." He stopped, suddenly afraid to go on, realizing he was questioning what Bakura had said.  
  
"Nani?" Bakura asked. Noticing the way Ryou began to shiver.  
  
"N-Never mind." He mumbled. Bakura scowled at him, and again lifted Ryou's chin up so he was eye-level with Bakura.  
  
"I told you already Ryou. I'm not going to hurt you." He spoke gently. "Now, what were you going to say?" Ryou was quiet for a moment, before he opened his mouth hesitantly to answer.  
  
"I, I was going to say." Ryou swallowed. "That, I wasn't very hungry."  
  
"That's it?" Bakura blinked at him. Ryou nodded his head, waiting for Bakura to lash out at him, and closed his eyes. Bakura frowned, and let go of Ryou's chin. "Gomen Ryou, but you have to eat something. It will help you regain your energy back. Plus, you're too skinny as it is." Ryou nodded, a little stunned that Bakura didn't do anything to him for talking back. "Do you want me to take you downstairs now? Or come and get you when dinner's finished?"  
  
"Whatever you want Bakura-sama." Bakura once again gave a frustrated sigh, and ran his fingers through his hair.  
  
"Well, I want whatever you want." Bakura retorted smartly, crossing his arms. He had Ryou caught now. The younger boy sighed, knowing he was trapped. He looked at Bakura uncertainly.  
  
"I, I'd like to go downstairs now." He answered, his voice wavering slightly.  
  
"Alright." Bakura smiled. "I'll be right back." He ran downstairs leaving Ryou blinking at him curiously.  
  
Ryou let out a breath of air he'd been holding nervously. Well, Bakura left him up here, that meant he was probably doing the opposite of what Ryou wanted. Ryou sighed, he should have known. He tried to get comfortable when Bakura came bounding back into the room. Ryou stared at him, a startled look on his face.  
  
"What? You didn't think I was going to leave you up here, did you?" Bakura grinned, and waltzed over to the side of Ryou's bed. "Ready?"  
  
Ryou nodded and was about to stand up to walk, when Bakura swooped him up bridal style, and began carrying him down the hall.  
  
"N-Nani?" Ryou squeaked, caught off guard.  
  
"Come on Ryou. You know you wouldn't be able to make it downstairs in one piece, you're too sore." Bakura grimaced, feeling guilty again.  
  
He managed to get Ryou down into the living room without jostling him up too much. He set Ryou down on the couch where he had earlier put some pillows and a blanket down for him.  
  
"Comfortable?" He asked, before draping the blanket over him and handing him the remote control. Ryou nodded, and shifted into a position that hurt less. "I'm going to try to make something to eat, okay?" Bakura smiled and made his way to the kitchen, pausing when he heard a soft voice behind him.  
  
"Arigatou Bakura-sama."  
  
"No problem Ryou." Bakura grinned, and proceeded to the next room, feeling glad that he had helped his aibou.  
  
Ryou watched as Bakura disappeared into the kitchen, before turning around and flipping the T.V. on. He surfed through channels, not finding anything in the least bit interesting. Sighing, he settled on an American cartoon channel. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a loud 'bang' and rapid Egyptian cursing afterwards. Ryou bit on his nail worriedly, what was Bakura doing to his kitchen?  
  
His question was answered when Bakura walked out, his face covered in smoke, and carrying a plate, with, something intelligible on it.  
  
"Eat up." He said sarcastically, setting the plate in front of Ryou, who stared at it.  
  
"Ano, it looks delicious." He said, forcing a smile and picking up his fork.  
  
"No it doesn't." Bakura snapped, and grabbed the plate out of Ryou's reach. "Don't eat it. It might kill you."  
  
\Then let me eat it.\ Ryou thought forlornly.  
  
Bakura stopped and stared at Ryou, taken aback by the thought he had just heard. He set down the plate and sat next to Ryou, pulling the boy into a tight hug. Ryou tensed, not knowing what Bakura was going to do to him.  
  
\\Tell me you didn't mean it.\\ He heard the upset voice of his yami whisper through their mind link. \\Onegai, tell me you didn't truly mean that.\\  
  
Ryou blinked, and then understood what Bakura was talking about. He must have heard his thoughts. He shifted awkwardly in the fiends grasp.  
  
"I didn't mean it Bakura-sama."  
  
"Promise me you won't ever say something like that again?" Bakura pleaded quietly, knowing how pathetic he sounded at t he moment. But he had never wanted Ryou to ever even think about wanting to die.  
  
"I promise." Bakura gave him another light squeeze, before letting him go completely. He smiled a strained looking smile at Ryou before walking back into the kitchen.  
  
"I'm going to call Marik and Malik and have them come over. I'll ask them to bring something for us to eat as well. Is that okay?" Bakura shouted from the other room.  
  
"Hai Bakura-sama!" Ryou shouted excitedly. He hasn't seen Malik in a long time, and was eager to chat with his best friend. He was also concerned about him, since Marik abused him like Bakura did. He smiled happily and focused on the T.V., waiting for Malik and Marik to arrive.  
  
In the kitchen, Bakura was phoning the Ishtar's house, waiting for someone to pick it up.  
  
"Who is it?" A voice snapped rudely from the other side of the phone.  
  
"Malik?" Bakura questioned.  
  
"Yeah. Who is this?"  
  
"It's Bakura. Now put your yami on." He heard muffled voices from the other end, and then a loud slapping sound was heard along with a shout of pain.  
  
"Yo Bakura. What's up?" Marik asked.  
  
"Nothing. What did you do to Malik?"  
  
"Slapped him." Marik answered casually.  
  
"Okay, whatever. Now, can you and Malik get over here? And pick up some food for us on the way." He heard Marik snort on the other line.  
  
"Yeah, fine. But you owe me." Marik warned. "I'll pick up some Chinese. What do you want?"  
  
"It doesn't matter to me, let me ask Ryou what he wants."  
  
"You're actually asking what Ryou wants? That's not like you at all Bakura."  
  
"I know. That's why I need you to come over so I can talk to you." Bakura asked Ryou what sort of Chinese food he would want, and then relayed the message to Marik. "Pick up some food for Malik too."  
  
"Bakura? Are you feeling okay?" Marik asked amusedly, thinking his friend was playing around with him.  
  
"Urusei. Just do it and get over here." Bakura hung up the phone and walked out of the kitchen and back to Ryou. He told Ryou that they would be over soon before settling down on the couch next to Ryou's feet. They both watched the television in awkward silence. Both not used to the fact that they were both sitting in the same room without Ryou getting hurt.  
  
The doorbell rang, making them both jump at the sound. Bakura got up and answered it, seeing that it was Malik and Marik. Marik walked inside without an invitation, leaving Malik standing there struggling to hold onto all the Chinese bags. Bakura sighed, and helped Malik carry them in, gaining a suspicious look from the hikari.  
  
Marik walked into the living room, seeing Ryou there watching T.V. and wrapped up in blankets. All in all, he looked comfortable, and was taking up half the couch. So, naturally, Marik wanted to sit there and be that relaxed.  
  
"Hey Kowappa." He greeted with a smirk on his face. Ryou gulped, and stared at the ground.  
  
"Konbanwa Marik-sama." He then found himself being pushed off the couch. He landed on his backside and screamed at the immense pain it brought him.  
  
Bakura heard the scream, and dropped the bags, running into the living room to see Ryou whimpering on the floor and Marik staring at the hikari exasperated.  
  
"Don't be such a baby, I barely touched you!" Marik shouted, and plopped down in the spot Ryou had been in.  
  
"Marik!" Bakura shouted angrily from the doorway. "What do you think you're doing?" He stomped over to him, glaring at the other yami fiercely, who just raised an eyebrow at Bakura. Bakura was about to give Marik a piece of his mind when he heard a whimper below him. He dropped to the ground where Ryou was, and helped him up.  
  
"Daijoubu desu ka?" He asked concernedly. Ryou bit his lip and nodded, another wave of pain wracking through his body.  
  
"Bakura? What the hell has gotten in to you?" Marik questioned, annoyed. Bakura shot him another glare. "Get up. You go sit on the chair or the floor."  
  
"Nani? You're kidding right?" Marik looked at Bakura oddly.  
  
"I'm not kidding. Now move." Bakura said coolly, eyeing Marik warningly. Marik growled and moved to sit on the other chair, crossing his arms and muttering to himself madly. Bakura helped Ryou lie back down again, propping up the pillows so Ryou was sitting up slightly.  
  
Malik walked into the room, once again balancing all the food in his hands, and stared at the scene questionably. Marik gave him an angry stare, silently warning the boy not to ask.  
  
"Oops, I forgot about you Malik." Bakura said sheepishly, taking some of the bags of food out of his hands. He glanced through them quickly before handing Ryou his order. "I want you to try to eat as much as you can." He told him, seeing how the other looked distastefully at the food. Ryou submissively nodded, and pulled out his chopsticks. Malik sat down on the floor next to the couch Ryou was on, and ate his own food, waiting for the two darks to leave so he could talk to his friend.  
  
"Mind telling me what the hell is up with you?" Marik asked crossly.  
  
"In the kitchen." He said, shooting a glance at Ryou. He and Marik grabbed their dinner, and walked into the kitchen, leaving Malik and Ryou alone in the living room.  
  
"So Ryou. What's Bakura up to?" Malik asked, taking a bite out of his egg roll.  
  
Both he and Ryou had been close friends for a while now. They had a lot in common and enjoyed talking to one another freely. Each one had a special connection toward each other, and Malik was glad to finally be able to visit him.  
  
"I'm not sure." Ryou answered softly. "He, he did something horrible to me last night, and I guess he felt really bad, because he's been taking care of me ever since." Malik blinked up at him.  
  
"Well that's weird. What did he do?" Malik watched Ryou carefully as the other fidgeted, setting down his container of food.  
  
"Well, he was, drunk, as usual. And he came home and started to beat me, like he does regularly. But then, he took me upstairs to my room, and he, he." Ryou paused, and took a deep breath. "He raped me." He finished bitterly, letting a few tears leak out of his eyes.  
  
"Oh Ryou-kun." Malik muttered, and held the boy as he sobbed into Malik's shoulder, still getting over the fact that his virginity was stolen from him. A few minutes later, Ryou pulled back and sniffled, wiping his face off.  
  
"Gomen." Ryou gave Malik a forced smile, who looked rather upset at what Ryou just told him. "Don't worry about me. He hasn't hurt me at all since then, and he even bandaged my wounds." Malik looked at him uncertainly.  
  
"Even so, be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt worse than you already have." Ryou smiled at him, and then frowned, looking at Malik closely.  
  
"Daijoubu desu ka Malik-kun? You seem out of breath." Malik gave him a shaky smile, and assured Ryou he was okay. "Are you sure?" Ryou asked again, not believing what Malik told him.  
  
"Hai Ryou-kun. Daijoubu."  
  
"Malik Ishtar! You're lying to me." Ryou scowled at him and checked Malik over once again and noticing a few wounds and the way Malik's shoulder seemed out of place. "Take off your shirt, I'll got get the first aid kit." He stood up, forgetting about his soreness, and let out a pain- filled gasp. He shook his head as his vision blurred, and almost fell over, but was caught just in time.  
  
"What did I tell you Ryou?" Bakura chided semi-angrily, and set Ryou down on the couch again. "Don't move, now what do you need?" Malik stared at Bakura unbelievingly, then he shifted his look to Marik, who stood at the doorway and was looking rather pale and thoughtful.  
  
"First aid kit." Ryou mumbled dizzily, not realizing whom he was talking to at the moment. "Malik is hurt."  
  
"Okay, don't worry about it. I'll take care of it." Bakura ran upstairs and grabbed the kit out of the bathroom, and walked into the room. "Take off your shirt." He commanded to Malik, and opened the medical box, pulling out various creams and bandages.  
  
Malik froze, and stared at Bakura untrustingly. He pulled his shirt closer to himself and scooted away from Bakura. Bakura looked up at him and gave him a reassuring smile.  
  
"I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to look at your injuries." Malik shook his head stubbornly, and Bakura frowned.  
  
"He doesn't like people he doesn't trust to see his back." Ryou informed quietly from the couch. "It's alright Bakura-sama. I can take care of him."  
  
"No, you are staying put and resting." Bakura commanded. "And quit with the sama." He turned towards Malik. "Come on Malik, Ryou wants me to treat your cuts and bruises, and I can't do that unless I see them." Malik once again shook his head and backed away further. He shouted out in surprise when someone tackled him to the ground.  
  
"You should be glad someone is willing to help you. Now be still." Marik growled into the struggling Malik's ear.  
  
"Iie! Get off!" Malik thrashed. Marik peeled off the teen's shirt and Bakura came over and sat on the back of Malik's thighs, while Marik held down Malik's arms. "Ittai!" He cried out as Marik put pressure on his dislocated shoulder.  
  
"Relax Malik, we aren't going to hurt you." Bakura said softly. He then noticed the way Malik's shoulder was out of whack. He glared at Marik before quickly popping it back into place.  
  
"ITTAI!" Malik cried out, his eyes filling with tears. He then went limp with relief as the pain in his shoulder faded away. He ceased struggling as Bakura started to treat some wounds on Malik's lower back. He ran a finger lightly over the Pharaoh's Memory that was carved into the hikari's skin, and Malik shuddered at the feeling. Finished with the back side of Malik, he stood up.  
  
"Alright, turn over so I can get the front." Bakura directed. Malik turned over, and then kicked Bakura hard, nailing him where every man's weak spot was. Bakura screamed out in pain before dropping to the ground.  
  
Ryou's eyes widened from where he lay on the couch, shocked that Malik had done something like that. He almost panicked, thinking that his best friend was about to be killed in front of his eyes. Malik was surprised that he did that to the violent yami as well, staring up at Bakura in horror and fear. Marik though, just laughed at Bakura's crouched form, finding it hilarious that his hikari had done something like that.  
  
Taking a few deep breaths, Bakura pulled himself up to his feet, glaring daggers at Malik, who flinched away. Bakura's glare softened ad he set back to work on Malik's cuts and bruises.  
  
"I'll admit that I deserved that, but next time, I might not be so nice." He advised. "I said I wouldn't hurt Ryou again. I never said anything about you." He finished with Malik and stood up, limping out of the room to put the first aid kit away.  
  
Malik and Ryou shot one another disbelieving looks, Marik looked astounded as well. Bakura staggered back into the room and sat down next to Ryou.  
  
"What do you want to do?" He asked them. Of course, Ryou and Malik thought that he was only talking to Marik, so they stayed silent.  
  
"Well?" Marik asked, irritated. "Any ideas?" He gave a pointed look to Ryou and Malik, who blinked at them questionably. Bakura sighed.  
  
"Do you have anything specific you want to do?" Bakura asked Ryou.  
  
"No Bakura-sama." Bakura groaned and rubbed his temples.  
  
"No sama. Now, I want you to say my name without the sama at the end." Ryou fidgeted, and lowered his head. "Ryou." Bakura edged softly. When Ryou didn't reply he huffed and sunk into the couch cushion, irritated. Moments passed without anyone saying word before Marik stood up and angrily marched out of the room, passing by Malik who flinched at feeling the other's anger.  
  
Marik walked back into the room a few minutes later with a videocassette in hand. He turned on the T.V. and popped the movie into the VCR before stalking over to Ryou and grabbing the remote out of the startled light's hands. Receiving a questioning glare from Bakura, he hit play and faced the screen.  
  
"We're watching a movie." Marik said expressionlessly, sitting back down on the chair he was on earlier.  
  
"I can see that. But which one?" Bakura asked, helping Ryou into a sitting position next to him. He then looked at Malik and asked if the other wanted to sit next to Ryou on the couch. Malik looked at Marik before shaking his head and staring at the ground.  
  
"It's called Resident Evil. And Malik-Baka, go sit next to the kowappa." Marik commanded Malik obeyed and plopped down next to his friend on the couch, giving Marik a skeptical look.  
  
"Resident Evil? You do know this is going to scare the shit out of them." Bakura informed, looking down at Ryou who seemed a bit uneasy.  
  
"Yeah. But so what?" Bakura rolled his eyes at his friend's attitude before paying attention to the feature presentation on the T.V.  
  
Within minutes of the movie, Malik was shaking and hiding his head in Ryou's hair, while Ryou was trying his hardest not to shout, hiding his face in his hands and trembling with fright. Marik and Bakura watched in rapt fascination, even though Marik had seen the video before.  
  
As the movie progressed further, a part came up which scared Ryou and Malik so bad, they screamed, which in turn startled Bakura and Marik who were too into the movie to notice just how frightened the boys were. They turned to look at them and saw the two curled up against each other with their eyes shut tight.  
  
"I think they've had enough." Bakura said, feeling remorseful for letting them watch the movie.  
  
"Uh, yeah." Marik muttered, feeling a bit awkward. He turned off the T.V. and walked over to the shaky hikaris who had yet to notice that the movie was off.  
  
"Ryou?" Bakura nudged the said hikari worriedly. Ryou's eyes shot open and he stared frightfully at Bakura. Bakura looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry, I shouldn't have let Marik play that." He glared at the yami who snorted in disbelief.  
  
"Hey, it's not MY fault." Bakura ignored him and turned back to the two on the couch who had both their eyes open and were staring at them tensely.  
  
"Are you two going to be alright?" He asked.  
  
"Why would you care?" Malik spat out sarcastically, then covered his mouth with his hand and scorning himself for being so stupid. He closed his eyes, expecting to be smacked by either yamis. When no blow came, he nervously opened his eyes.  
  
Bakura had a crestfallen expression on his face while Marik was staring across the room, looking like he was having an internal struggle with himself. The apprehensive silence was broken when Ryou failed to stifle a yawn. They all turned their heads towards him and he blushed shamefacedly.  
  
Marik blinked at him and glanced at the clock, cursing under his breath at how late it had become.  
  
"I guess we'll stay the night." He muttered. Malik and Ryou beamed at each other, both glad they had more time to talk.  
  
"Ask Ryou if that's alright with him." Bakura ordered, staring at Marik sternly. Marik glowered at him and turned to Ryou.  
  
"Is it possible that Marik and I could stay the night?" He forced out through clenched teeth, his eyes blaring madly. Ryou flinched and nodded quickly, hoping Marik would direct his gaze to someone else. Bakura nodded his head in satisfaction and left the room, saying something about grabbing some pillows and blankets.  
  
Once he was gone, Marik looked at the two boys, who bowed their heads meekly and stared at the ground. He walked over to Malik, crouching down to the tensed up light. He raised his hand a placed it on Malik's head, noticing how the other cringed at his touch.  
  
"Are you afraid of me?" He asked out of the blue, his hand still placed on Malik's head.  
  
"Hai." Malik answered after a moments pause, and then cringed, waiting once again for the punch or kick that was sure to come. Just like last time, nothing happened, and he opened his eyes, lifting his head a bit to look at his yami. Marik just stared at Malik unnervingly before nodding, standing up and striding over to the other side of the room. Malik and Ryou gave each other weird glances and shrugged, glad that Malik didn't have another bruise.  
  
Bakura walked back into the room, his arms full of various pillows and covers from rooms upstairs. Noticing the silence in the room, he shot a questioning look at Marik who ignored him and turned the other way. Bakura sighed and set down the stuff he was carrying.  
  
"Ryou, you're sleeping on the couch. Malik, you can take the chair Marik was sitting on earlier. And Marik and I will get the floor."  
  
"What?!" Marik sputtered. "That isn't fair!" Bakura glared at him.  
  
"Sure it is, they're injured, and we're not. So we're sleeping on the floor."  
  
"But, why can't we sleep in the beds upstairs?" Marik complained.  
  
"Marik!" Bakura snapped at him furiously.  
  
"Ano, Bakura-sama?"  
  
"Yes Ryou?" Bakura's anger quickly faded and he looked at Ryou expectantly.  
  
"It's okay if you and Marik-sama sleep upstairs. Malik-kun and I will be fine." Ryou said quietly.  
  
"See? He said it was fine!" Marik then stomped upstairs to get ready to sleep.  
  
"But Ryou!" Bakura argued. "You and Malik are most likely going to have nightmares after watching part of Resident Evil. Are you sure you'll be alright?"  
  
"Hai Bakura-sama." Ryou assured. He felt a little bit braver to Bakura than he did before. "If we have nightmares we'll comfort each other."  
  
"If you're sure." Bakura said, still hesitant about leaving them alone. "Call if you need anything. And Ryou, don't get up to go anywhere without someone helping you." Ryou nodded and gave Bakura another reassuring smile. Bakura, who felt a bit more at ease, headed upstairs to have another talk with Marik, and left the two downstairs to converse. After he was gone, Ryou turned to Malik and grinned at him.  
  
"See? Maybe he has changed." Ryou said hopefully.  
  
"Maybe." Malik agreed. "I've never seen him act like that before. Marik is acting weird too." Ryou nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"Maybe Bakura had a talk with him." Malik snorted, interrupting Ryou.  
  
"Even if he did, it wouldn't stop Marik from having his 'fun' with me. Still, I wouldn't trust them too soon. This may just be another way for them to hurt us."  
  
"I thought of that too." Ryou sighed, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Malik smirked at his friend.  
  
"Kawaii!" He cooed, making Ryou blush furiously. Malik giggled and curled up on the chair, pulling his blanket over him. "Let's get some shut eye, ne?" Ryou nodded tiredly.  
  
"Oyasumi nasai Malik-kun."  
  
"Oyasumi Ryou-kun."  
  
And with that said, both lights fell into a deep slumber.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chibi B: So? What do you think?  
  
Taski: It's dumb!  
  
Chibi B: -_- Not you! Okay, as I mentioned before, this won't be updated as often as my other fics.But, you made persuade me to work on it more if I get a LOT of reviews! ^_^!!!!  
  
R&R!!!!!! 


	2. Chapter 2

Heartfelt Apologies  
  
Chibi B: Hiya! Sorry for the long wait, chapter two is finally here! ....*crickets chirp* ^^;;;  
  
Taski: Nobody cares.  
  
Chibi B: I know. XD Oh! For those who are reading Painful Accusations and are waiting for an update. I'm SO SORRY! I've been trying to upload chapter 5 for a week now! And FF.net won't load it all the way! ._  
  
Warnings: Rape, Yaoi, OOCness.I think that's all.  
  
Translations:  
  
Onegai - Please  
  
Yameru - Stop  
  
Gomen nasai - I'm sorry  
  
Hai - Yes  
  
Iie - No  
  
Daijoubu desu ka - Are you all right?  
  
Daijoubu - It's all right.  
  
Arigatou - Thank you  
  
Baka - Idiot/Moron/Fool/etc.  
  
Kowappa - Brat  
  
Konbanwa - Good evening  
  
Oyasumi nasai - Good night  
  
Kawaii - Cute  
  
Honto - Really  
  
Urusei - Shut up  
  
Sugoi - Exclaim of surprise... I guess...^^;;;  
  
Nani - What  
  
Nan desu ka - What  
  
Konnichiwa - Hello  
  
Ohayo gozaimasu - Good morning  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Marik stumbled into one of the guest rooms, plopping facedown on the bed. He was both frustrated and upset. What Bakura told him about Ryou was running through his head over and over. He didn't want to end up doing that to Malik. Giving a muffled shout of aggravation into the mattress, he flipped over onto his back, staring at the ceiling.  
  
"Are you thinking about what I said?"  
  
Marik glanced at the doorway, seeing Bakura leaning against the frame and staring at him blankly.  
  
"Yeah." Marik mumbled, focusing his attention back on the ceiling.  
  
"You love him." It wasn't a question, but a statement. Marik sat up and openly gaped at him. Love? The runt? Nooooo. But, as much as he wanted to say that, he couldn't find himself denying it inside his heart. He warred mentally with himself, before closing his mouth and nodding at Bakura.  
  
"You love Ryou too, ne?" He asked, turning the tables.  
  
"Hai. I think I always have." Bakura said thoughtfully, staring off into space. There was a moment of silence before Marik spoke up again.  
  
"You know they don't trust us." He informed. Bakura nodded at him.  
  
"I know. But I'm hoping some day I'll be able to someday gain that trust."  
  
"Hn. When did we become so soft?" Marik grumbled, while Bakura gave a halfhearted chuckle and didn't answer.  
  
"Well, I'm heading off to bed. See you later." Bakura then trudged off to his own room, planning on getting a good nights rest, and leaving Marik to his thoughts. Marik sat up for hours thinking about nothing, when he suddenly heard a mental scream. Bolting upright, he rushed downstairs to find out what was wrong. He found that Ryou was still sleeping soundly while Malik was sitting up and staring wide-eyed ahead of him, breathing heavily from a nightmare.  
  
"Malik?" He prodded, using the boy's name for the first time in a long time. Malik glimpsed up at him and flinched, hugging his knees to his chest. "Daijoubu desu ka?" Marik asked, cursing himself for being so kind and concerned. He raised an eyebrow when Malik let out a dry laugh.  
  
"Why would you care?" He rasped out. "You have no right to ask me such a thing when you bring me so much unbearable pain and horrific nightmares." He peeked his eyes over his knees, staring at Marik through his platinum blond hair angrily. "You beat me, abuse me, what are you going to do next, huh? Rape me like Bakura did to Ryou? I wouldn't put it past you!" Malik's voice was thick with unshed tears as he ranted at Marik. "Well go ahead. I don't care anymore." He unraveled himself and spread his arms open, glaring at Marik distastefully, tears falling out of his dead violet eyes. "Go on. Do it! Nothing's stopping you!"  
  
Marik looked at Malik, shocked. Did he go too far? Did his light really thin that he would rape him? Was it too late to even think about asking for forgiveness? Looking at his now more compliant and broken light, he felt a great sadness swell up in him. He pulled Malik into a hug, startling himself and the other boy greatly.  
  
"Gomen." He muttered sorrowfully. "I truly am. I won't ever hurt you in any way again. I swear it."  
  
"It's a little too late now." Malik sniffed. "I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive or believe what you say." Marik pulled away and stared at Malik, straight into the other's eyes.  
  
"I don't deserve it anyways. But I will try to make it up to you. Just like Bakura is to Ryou."  
  
"We don't trust either of you."  
  
"I know, but maybe in time you will." Marik was in awe with himself, wondering when he became so softhearted and caring towards his light. He crushed the teen into another hug. This was why. It felt right holding the hikari in his arms. Kissing Malik's head tenderly, he sat down on the cushiony chair and pulled Malik onto his lap.  
  
"What are you doing?" Malik whimpered out fearfully. Marik never remembered Malik ever sounding so small and fragile before. Was this what Malik was really like? Deep down inside, was he just a small helpless kid in need of love? That thought made him want to protect the boy even more.  
  
"I'm going to lie down with you." Marik stated calmly. "Now, try to fall asleep." Malik stayed tense in Marik's arms, before gradually relaxing, his eyes drooping shut. Within minutes, he was fast asleep, breathing softly against Marik's chest. Marik continued to watch the other's passive face, before falling into a peaceful slumber as well, his chin resting on Malik's soft locks of hair.  
  
Bakura, who had watched the whole scene from the doorway, smirked, and climbed back upstairs to rest, happy that Marik had finally admitted his feelings to himself.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Malik mumbled as light shined through his closed eyelids, snuggling deeper into the warmth that surrounded him. The thing wrapped around him shifted and Malik's eyes shot open in shock. He jumped upright, knocking his head into Marik's chin, causing both to cry out in pain.  
  
"Gomen." Malik mumbled, looking at Marik with a tense and wary expression.  
  
"Daijoubu." Marik said, wincing while rubbing his throbbing chin. Seeing Malik staring at him apprehensively, he dejectedly frowned.  
  
"What's going on?" A voice muttered sleepily. Both blond-haired teens turned, and looked at Ryou yawning up at them, his hair slightly mussed from sleeping. Once Ryou saw Marik, he bowed his head immediately. "Ohayo gozaimasu Marik-sama."  
  
"Just Marik is fine Ryou." Ryou looked at him wordlessly. Did Marik somehow change too? Just then Bakura walked into the room, clad in only his boxers, while reading the morning paper. Ryou mentally drooled at the image before shaking his head, blushing embarrassedly for even thinking of something like that.  
  
"It says here there's a carnival in town." Bakura noted, sitting down next to Ryou on the sofa and tossing the newspaper next to him. "Do you want to go?"  
  
"A carnival?" Ryou squealed brightly, practically bouncing in excitement, momentarily forgetting his fear of his yami. Bakura smiled, seeing Ryou so delighted.  
  
"Hai. I take it you want to go." Ryou nodded his head, then groaned as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him. "Daijoubu ka?" Bakura's brow furrowed, noticing Ryou sway slightly and shake his head.  
  
"Daijoubu." Ryou smiled. "Can Malik-kun come too?" Bakura shrugged and looked over at the two platinum haired teens. Both stared at him expressionlessly.  
  
"What's a carnival?" Marik finally asked, Malik listening for an answer as well.  
  
"Well, a carnival is, uh, it's a ." Bakura stuttered before rubbing the back of his head sheepishly and looking at his hikari. "Ryou? What IS a carnival?"  
  
"Ano, well, it's sort of hard to explain." Ryou frowned. "There's games, and rides, and food, and it's just a place to have fun really." Bakura shrugged, excepting the reply, and asked Marik if he and Malik wanted to come with them.  
  
"Sure. Might as well, we don't have anything better to do, do we?" He looked at Malik who shrugged and stared at the ground.  
  
"Sugoi!" Ryou squealed, standing up to get dressed, since he was still in his pajamas. He hissed through clenched teeth as pain wracked throughout his still sore body. Bakura reached out a hand to steady him, concern plastered on his face.  
  
"Maybe we shouldn't go today. You need more than one day's rest." He glanced at Malik. "And Malik could use some healing time as well. Besides, the carnival will be here for a week." Ryou sighed, slightly depressed, and nodded obediently. He sent an apologetic look at Malik who just shrugged and smiled, not in the least bit upset.  
  
"Why don't you just focus your pain back to the ring?" Marik questioned, slightly peeved that the trip was cancelled without thought. He was curious about this so-called carnival.  
  
"Nani?" Ryou blinked confusedly.  
  
"That's right!" Bakura shouted triumphantly, smacking a hand to his forehead. "I'm such a baka!" He turned around to face Ryou. "Okay Ryou, all you have to do is concentrate. Try to push back all your pain into the ring, and it will heal you."  
  
"Demo, won't that waste your energy?" Ryou asked, not understanding why his yami wanted him to do such a thing.  
  
"Hai, it will, but not too much. I'll be fine." Bakura assured, ushering Ryou to do as he told him. Ryou closed his eyes and concentrated, focusing on using the ring to lessen his pain. He let out a gasp as a warm feeling tingled throughout his body, healing him. He blinked his eyes open and looked down at his wrists, unwrapping the bandages. They were healed! He let out another breath of shock, and shifted experimentally. The pain was gone! He didn't hurt anymore!  
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu Bakura-sama!" Ryou beamed, smiling up at him brightly. His smile faded down to a frown of worry when he saw Bakura panting slightly and looking rather tired.  
  
"Daijoubu." Bakura guaranteed, seeing the frown on Ryou's face. "Just a little drained." Ryou accepted his answer and turned towards Malik, whom he found out was also focusing on pushing his pain down into his Millenium Rod. Malik opened his eyes in awe and rotated his arm, amazed when it didn't hurt. He turned towards Marik.  
  
"Arigatou."  
  
"No problem. Now, let's get ready to see what this carnival is all about." A smile quickly found it's way to Ryou's face again, and he grabbed Malik's hand, towing the other up the stairs to find some comfortable clothes to wear. Bakura turned to Marik, a small smile gracing his features.  
  
"They seem to be less tense around us. Though I do wish Ryou would stop adding the sama at the end of my name."  
  
"He's still afraid, they both are. But, you're right, they do seem at least a little more relaxed with us. You think this carnival thing is a good idea?" Bakura shrugged nonchalantly.  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
The two waited patiently for their respective lights to return downstairs. Within a few minutes, Ryou came hopping down dressed in a casual pair of blue jeans with a light beige colored long sleeved shirt for the top. Malik followed Ryou from behind, wearing almost the exact same thing as Ryou, except his shirt was a light lilac color.  
  
"Ready?" Bakura asked, opening the front door. He was answered by an enthusiastic nod from Ryou and two casual shrugs from the Ishtars.  
  
"Ano, Bakura-sama?" Ryou suddenly asked. "Where exactly is the carnival being held at?"  
  
"I think your school."  
  
"Okay, good. Does this mean we'll walk?" He asked hopefully.  
  
"Sure, if you want to. We could just use mine and Marik's motorcycle though." He looked at Ryou quizzically, wondering why the boy would want to walk.  
  
"Ryou-kun's afraid of motorcycles." Malik spoke up, grinning as Ryou blushed shamefully. "Kawaii!" He cooed again, making Ryou blush even harder.  
  
"Oh, then we'll walk." Bakura blinked, never knowing that Ryou had a fear of the motorized bikes. He was also thinking about how adorable Ryou was when he was red in the face. Marik grumbled, muttering to himself about how he had to walk all the way to Domino High. Ryou once again flushed, ashamed, and stared at the sidewalk they were now walking on.  
  
Soon enough they arrived at the carnival. They were hit with the fresh aroma of cooked hot dogs and hot pretzels. Ryou smiled cheerfully seeing all the bright balloons and rides to go on. He searched through the crown and finally found what he was looking for.  
  
"Bakura-sama?" He asked, failing to keep the excitement out of his voice. "May we go on that?" He pointed to the gigantic Ferris Wheel, one of Ryou's most favorite rides. Bakura's eyes opened wide as he stared at the giant contraption.  
  
"S-Sure." He stuttered, eyeing the machine warily. "Come on you two." He called back to Marik and Malik who were staring around, awed at the site before them. They snapped out of their daze and jogged up to Bakura and Ryou who had started out ahead of them.  
  
"Ryou-kun! I don't want to go on that, that, thing!" Malik whined, staring up at the Ferris Wheel suspiciously. Ryou giggled at Malik.  
  
"Don't worry, it's not so bad. It's like riding an elevator!" (Uhh, so I've been told. ^^; You see, I've never been on a Ferris Wheel before. In fact, I've never even been to a carnival! *is a deprived child* So, sorry if I describe this thing wrong..)  
  
"I think Marik and I will wait for you guys." Bakura said, standing back next to Marik.  
  
"Chicken." Marik mocked, poking Bakura in the side. "I'm not standing out here with you, I'm going." He pulled Malik up towards the line, and waited for them to be called to board the ride. Malik blinked up at his yami curiously, he thought he was going with Ryou! Well, he guessed his yami had other plans. Sighing, he shot a remorseful look at Ryou and shrugged. Ryou shook his head, signaling he was okay. Though inside, he was disappointed because he didn't want to ride it alone.  
  
Bakura saw Ryou's disheartened expression and sighed heavily. He tugged at Ryou's arm and nudged him towards the line, standing behind Malik and Marik. He was still looking at the ride cautiously when he felt someone hesitantly grab his hand. Looking next to him, Ryou gave him a small smile of reassurance, though he looked a bit frightened at the courageous move he made. Bakura squeezed Ryou's hand back gently and sent him a thankful and pleased look.  
  
"Next!" The conductor guy (*cough*. ????) shouted. And Marik and Malik stepped up, loading into the cart. They strapped themselves in with the man's help, and the ride started to move, making Malik squeak and grab onto Marik's arm unconsciously. Marik looked rather wide-eyed as well, and had clutched Malik close to him instinctively, seeking comfort from the teen.  
  
Soon after Malik and Marik boarded, the conductor guy (^^; forever known as "Conductor Guy".) called them up next. Ryou smiled widely and dragged Bakura into the seat, helping in strapping the other down.  
  
"Are you sure this is safe?" Bakura mumbled, still doubtful of the so- called Ferris Wheel.  
  
"Hai Bakura-sama! We'll be fine."  
  
They started to move suddenly, causing Bakura to tighten his grip on Ryou's hand. Ryou paid no attention to it, and was currently staring out excitedly at the carnival as they began moving up higher. Ryou gasped and pointed to a person standing down below them out in the crowd.  
  
"I see Yugi-kun!" He laughed, then stopped abruptly, staring at Bakura cautiously, knowing how the other always got upset at mentioning the Pharaoh or his hikari. Bakura though, just nodded and continued to stare out among all the different people and rides.  
  
"Ryou, what's that?" He asked, avoiding talking about Yugi and Yami anymore. Ryou blinked and followed to where his finger was pointing.  
  
"Ano, I think that's the game area."  
  
"Games?" Bakura perked up, interested.  
  
"Hai. You play carnival games, and win prizes like stuffed toys or sometimes even money or duel monster cards. Do you want to head there next?" Ryou asked, seeing how Bakura quickly became intrigued at hearing there was games to play.  
  
"Sure." Bakura grinned. He continued to ask Ryou what particular things were below them, and Ryou was glad to answer. The ride soon came to an end, and they hopped off, heading to where Marik and Malik were waiting.  
  
"Did you like it?" Ryou asked Malik, smiling widely. Malik shrugged, looking a little green.  
  
"It was okay, but let's not go on it anymore." Ryou nodded, not really caring.  
  
"Alright. Bakura-sama wants to go over to the game section, is that okay?"  
  
"Games?" Marik asked quickly, a smirk already forming on his lips. "Of course it's okay! Let's go!" Ryou led the way to where he remembered the games being at, Malik, Marik, and Bakura following him.  
  
"Wow." Malik breathed, seeing all the prizes and game booths set up. "Doesn't this cost any money?"  
  
"Hai, but it's no trouble." Ryou pulled out his wallet and gave each of them some money to spend. "If you need anymore, just ask." He smiled.  
  
"Ryou! Is that you?" A voice asked from behind him. He turned around and was face to face with Yugi and the others. The others being Yami, Honda, Otogi, Jounouchi, and Seto.  
  
"Yugi-kun! Minna-san!" Ryou shouted happily. He stiffened when he heard Bakura growl menacingly behind him. Turning around fearfully, he saw both Bakura and Marik snarling at Yami, their lips curled back, showing their sharp canines. Ryou let out a soft whimper, thinking his yami was going to hurt him again. Malik had slowly edged away from the group without them noticing, and dashed away.  
  
Bakura looked down at Ryou, hearing the small whine, and saw Ryou shaking slightly and looking up at him, frightened. Bakura's growl immediately died down, and his face softened apologetically. Ryou gave him a shaky smile, and turned back to the group in front of him.  
  
"Jou-kun! Seto-kun!" He cried out, launching into Jou's arms. "I missed you guys!"  
  
"We missed you too Ryou-chan!" Jou laughed, messing up Ryou's hair. "How've you been?"  
  
"Fine!" Ryou smiled.  
  
Yami was looking at Ryou's yami suspiciously. One minute, Bakura was barely controlling his rage, and the next he was calm as ever. He shifted his gaze to Ryou, who looked a little shaken up, but otherwise had a small smile on his face and was now hugging the life out of the blue-eyed CEO. Glancing at Marik, he noticed that the other had not stopped snarling threateningly at him. Rolling his eyes, Yami looked for Malik, and found that they boy wasn't there.  
  
"Wasn't there four of you?" He questioned curiously, raising a regal eyebrow. (Taski: Yes! The regalness of Yami's eyebrows! All hail! Chibi B: *whacks him with frying pan* Ignore him . ^_^)  
  
"Nani? Of course their four of us- Wait! Where's Malik?" Ryou asked, panicking. "He was right here a minute ago!" That seemed to snap Marik out of his trance with Yami.  
  
"Malik? What do you mean he's not here?" He looked around frantically. "Malik!?!"  
  
"Try your mind link, baka!" Bakura commanded, looking around for the lost light as well.  
  
"What's the big deal? He's a big boy, he can take care of himself. He WAS the one who tried to take over the world with you, remember?" Honda sneered, annoyed. "He'll be fine." Marik ignored him, trying to contact Malik with his link.  
  
"Honda!" Ryou scolded, shocked at his friend's behavior. "You know as well as I do how easily it is to get kidnapped at a carnival!"  
  
"Ryou's right Honda, you shouldn't act like that." Yugi chastised gently. "What if Otogi went missing?" Honda winced and looked at his boyfriend.  
  
"Your right. Gomen."  
  
"Damn it Marik! Haven't you talked to him yet?"  
  
"Urusei Bakura!" Marik yelled furiously. "I'm trying to talk to him right now!"  
  
//Malik?//  
  
/ .. /  
  
//Daijoubu desu ka? Are you hurt anywhere?//  
  
/Iie./  
  
//Did someone take you?//  
  
/Iie./  
  
//Then where the hell did you go?!// Marik asked, sounding pissed. //You scared the shit out of us!//  
  
/Gomen./  
  
//Daijoubu, now where are you?// No answer. //Malik?// Malik mentally sighed.  
  
/I'm by the food stand./  
  
//Why did you run off?// More silence.  
  
/You, you were scaring me. And Yugi-tachi doesn't like me very much, I didn't want to trouble them./  
  
//Gomen Malik.// Marik apologized guiltily for frightening his hikari again. //And of course they like you, they just don't like me and Bakura.//  
  
/Iie, they hate me. I, I don't want to hang around them./  
  
//But they were looking for you-//  
  
/Onegai?/ Malik begged, hoping Marik would show some mercy. Marik sighed heavily.  
  
//Fine. I'll tell Ryou and Bakura, you stay there and wait.//  
  
/Arigatou./  
  
"So? Where is he?" Bakura asked once Marik was focused back on reality. He was met with a worried Ryou who was staring at him while chewing on his lip nervously.  
  
"He's fine, he just needed some time alone." Marik lied. Ryou sighed in relief and wiped the sweat off his brow. Marik pulled Bakura over and whispered something in the dark's ear. Bakura nodded understandingly and relayed the message to Ryou. Ryou blinked and immediately looked upset. He turned around to the others.  
  
"It was nice seeing you again, but I think it's time for us to leave."  
  
"Are you sure? We just met up though." Jou frowned, disappointed that his friend had to leave so soon.  
  
"Hai. Maybe we'll get together some other day, ne?" Ryou waved goodbye, and ran ahead to catch up with Bakura and Marik who had already started before of him. He turned tearful and shameful eyes to Marik.  
  
"Is he really alright Marik-sama?"  
  
"Yeah, he's fine Ryou." Marik answered awkwardly. "He said he's up by the food stand." Ryou nodded, his eyes still moist, and walked with the two yamis towards the stand. Seeing Malik, Ryou immediately smiled, and ran forwards, launching into Malik's arms.  
  
"Gomen nasai Malik-kun! I shouldn't have been so selfish, I should have thought about your feelings first." Ryou sniffled, burying his head into Malik's shoulder. Malik hugged the boy back gently.  
  
"You have no reason to be sorry, I just needed some time to think." Ryou pulled back from Malik, guilt still seeping out of his eyes. "Come on Ryou, enough of that. Now, we missed breakfast, so why don't we grab a bite to eat while we're here?" Ryou sniffled and nodded his head, turning to face Marik and Bakura.  
  
"May we get something to eat Bakura-sama?" Bakura sighed, and put his hands on his hips.  
  
"Are you hungry?" He asked.  
  
"Hai ..." Ryou answered quietly.  
  
"Then go ahead. You don't need my permission Ryou." Ryou nodded his head once again.  
  
"Do you want something too?" He asked, blinking up at them expectantly. Both darks shrugged and looked at the menu on the food stand along with Malik and Ryou.  
  
"What's a corndog?" Malik asked quizzically.  
  
"It's just like a hot dog, except it's on a stick." Ryou answered. "Do you want to try one?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Us too." Bakura replied for himself and Marik.  
  
"Four corndogs please!" Ryou asked politely, smiling up at the man widely. The man smirked back, and grabbed the corndogs, passing them out to the boys one by one. When he came to Ryou, he smiled lecherously at him.  
  
"Yours is on the house sweetie." He purred, licking his lips while looking the white haired teen up and down. Ryou blinked up at him, confused, and just nodded his head. Bakura had growled warningly at the guy, his eyes narrowing dangerously.  
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu." Ryou said, handing him the money for the three corndogs. The cashier brushed his hand over Ryou's casually while taking the cash, and winked at him. Ryou eyes once again clouded in confusion, and he pulled his hand back. Bakura stepped in front of him suddenly, and glared at the guy darkly.  
  
"He's taken." Bakura snarled, eyes flashing with anger. The man gulped and backed away immediately.  
  
"S-Sure man, whatever you say."  
  
Bakura grabbed Ryou's hand and pulled him away from the stand, Malik and Marik following.  
  
"N-Nan desu ka Bakura-sama?" Ryou questioned once Bakura let go of his hand.  
  
"The guy was hitting on you Ryou! Couldn't you notice?" Malik exclaimed exasperatedly, slapping his forehead with his hand. Ryou only stared at them, before turning bright red as realization seeped through.  
  
"Oh." He squeaked, humiliated that he hadn't recognized it sooner. Then he blinked, recalling that Bakura had said that he was already taken. He glanced at Bakura quizzically, but the other took no notice.  
  
"What the hell?!" Marik suddenly shouted. They turned to him abruptly, and saw Marik staring at his food with wide eyes. Malik and Bakura both blinked and also looked at their corndogs.  
  
"These." Malik started out slowly, breaking the sudden silence. "Are. So. Wrong."  
  
"What do you mean Malik? You haven't even tried it yet!" Ryou giggled, taking a bite out of his. "Mmmm!" He hummed appreciatively. "Delicious!" He was once again the center of attention as Bakura, Malik, and Marik gaped at him. "What?" He blinked.  
  
Suddenly, Malik couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing, Marik soon joining him. Bakura cackled wildly as well, while Ryou just stood there, puzzled.  
  
"R-Ryou!" Malik snickered, tears of mirth pouring down his face. "Look a- at that, and t-tell me what you first th-think of!" Ryou looked at his hot dog on a stick blankly for a minute, thinking. Suddenly he shrieked and flushed hotly, glaring at his best friend.  
  
"Malik Ishtar! I can't believe you!" He was met with louder laughter from all three teens, and just stood there, mortified. Finally, the giggling subsided.  
  
"Don't tell me you've never thought of that before." Marik asked, wiping his eyes. He hadn't laughed that hard for centuries. Ryou just looked at the ground, still red with embarrassment.  
  
"Iie." He mumbled. "Maybe we should get something else to eat."  
  
"No way!" Malik exclaimed, taking a bit bite out of his corndog. "I'm going to enjoy eating this!" He marched away back to the game area. Marik shrugged, and bit his as well, liking the way it tasted. He then followed Malik, Bakura and Ryou behind him.  
  
By the time they arrived back to where they were before they met up with Yugi and the others, all of them had finished their corndogs. (Marik and Bakura had a hard time watching their lights eat the, descriptive snack ...) They then parted, each going separate ways to play the games they wanted. Ryou though, had decided to follow Malik since he wasn't very good at these kinds of games. He watched as Malik went from game to game, winning some duel monsters cards and balloon animals. Malik was looking rather happy, running from booth to booth to see how well he could do. Ryou giggled silently at the childish look on his friends face as the other threw darts at balloons to try to win some more cards.  
  
He suddenly stopped, and gasped, staring at one of the prizes for a game. It was a Change of Heart plushie. Ryou looked at what kind of game it was, and his face fell, realizing it was one he was never good at. Sighing wistfully at the stuffed toy, he turned to go find Malik again, only to come face to face with Bakura. He jumped back, startled, before smiling up at the other.  
  
"Do you need more money Bakura-sama?"  
  
"Iie." Bakura shook his head. "Why don't you play that game Ryou? I can tell you want the prize." Ryou smiled sadly at Bakura.  
  
"Ano, I've never been good at carnival games, especially this one, so I know it would only be a waste of money."  
  
"Fine, I'll play it then." Bakura grinned, slapping his money down on the booth to try to take a shot at the game. Within minutes he was holding a Change of Heart toy. Ryou smiled up at him in awe.  
  
"Wow! That was amazing Bakura-sama!" Bakura smiled down at Ryou softly, and held the plushie out to Ryou.  
  
"It's for you." Ryou took the toy from Bakura, and gently cradled it to his chest, his hair hiding his eyes from the other. When Bakura heard a small sniffle, he became concerned and lifted Ryou's chin up. His heart broke seeing Ryou's chocolate brown eyes filled with tears. "Ryou, don't cry." He whispered, wiping a lone tear that fell from Ryou's face. Then, all of a sudden, Ryou threw his arms around Bakura's neck, one hand still holding the plushie, and buried his head in his dark's shoulder.  
  
"Arigatou." He whimpered quietly. "You have no idea how much this means to me." Bakura hugged Ryou close to him, inhaling the other boy's sweet scent and enjoying the feeling of having his light so close to him. Ryou pulled his head away from Bakura's shirt, and stared up at him with eyes still filled with unshed tears, but a smile on his face.  
  
Bakura stared down at the softer teen's plush lips below him, finding himself drawing closer towards the boy. Just once, just once he needed to taste his white haired hikari, and feel the other against him. He leaned down further. Close, so close...  
  
"Ryou-kun? Where'd you go?"  
  
Ryou pulled back abruptly, flushed and studying the pavement intently.  
  
"Malik-kun must be looking for me..." He mumbled.  
  
"Hai. Go on now, have some fun." Bakura pushed Ryou along gently, smiling. Ryou took one last glace at him, smiled as well, and waved before taking off to find Malik.  
  
"There you are!" Malik gasped, running up next to Ryou. He blinked at the Change of Heart toy Ryou was holding to his chest. "Did you win that?"  
  
"Iie. Ryou shook his head, beaming up at Malik. He clutched at the plushie fondly. "Bakura-sama won it for me."  
  
"Honto ne?" Malik looked surprised. "Wow. Neat." He opened his mouth to say something else but froze when someone grabbed him from behind and slipped something over his head and around his neck. Malik spun around sharply, ready to strike, but was met with the sight of Marik's grinning face.  
  
"It fits you perfectly." He mused, staring at Malik intently. "And it brings out your eyes." Malik grasped at the object now hanging off his throat, and studied it. He gasped when he saw what the item was and how beautiful it looked.  
  
"Wh-What's this?" He asked, his voice slightly hoarse.  
  
"It's a necklace baka, what else would it be?" Marik glanced at him expectantly. "I won it for you. Do you like it?" There was a short pause as Malik stared at the gift.  
  
"Hai. I, I love it." Malik breathed, staring back at the charm with wonder. "Arigatou." Marik shrugged, still smirking.  
  
"I'm glad you like it, and you're welcome. Well, I'm off to play more games, come find me if you need me." He wandered off, hands in his pockets, leaving his stunned hikari behind.  
  
"Sugoi Malik! It's absolutely stunning!" Ryou cheered, now studying the piece of jewelry. It was a bright violet gemstone, hanging off of a beautiful golden chain. (*doesn't know how to describe it* @_@)  
  
"I, I know." He wet his lips and stared at Ryou hesitantly. "Do you think, they've really changed?"  
  
"Hai. I think so." Ryou smiled happily. "I truly believe they have." He gazed at Malik, his eyes shining with renewed hope and joy. "And I think we should give them a second chance, don't you?" Malik fingered his new necklace thoughtfully, before nodding his head determinedly.  
  
"Yeah. I think they do deserve another chance. But Ryou," He turned to look at his friend. "I don't understand how you could forgive Bakura for what he did to you. I mean, he took your innocence for Ra's sake!"  
  
Ryou was silent, studying the ground below him and clutching his plushie. He looked at Malik with a sad smile.  
  
"Demo, he was drunk Malik-kun. So, it wasn't really his fault."  
  
Malik nodded his head, still not understanding how his friend could be so forgiving. Then, he locked arms with Ryou, snickering.  
  
"Shall we head off Sir Ryou-chan?" He joked. Ryou laughed lightly.  
  
"Why after you Sir Malik-kun!" Then they both headed off into the swarm of people, determined to have some fun while they were there.  
  
The four teens continued to enjoy themselves at the carnival for a few more hours before meeting up to eat. Then, after that, they went on a few more rides before gathering with the rest of the people to view the fireworks that were about to set off.  
  
"Sugoi! This is going to be so cool!" Ryou squealed excitedly. Malik was bouncing eagerly as well.  
  
"What are these fireworks again?" Bakura questioned curiously.  
  
"You'll see!" Both hikaris chirped at the same time before turning their attention to the night sky. Bakura mentally grinned. It had seemed that both boys had begun to trust the yamis more, and they didn't seem as afraid.  
  
"Maybe we should go try to find a better viewing point?" Malik suggested. "Besides, I'm tired of standing! Let's go find someplace to sit down." Ryou agreed, a bit tired as well.  
  
"Oh! I know a spot! Let's go up on the school hill!" Ryou exclaimed.  
  
"Perfect!" Malik shouted triumphantly as he hurriedly ran to the suggested place. They plopped down on the hill. Bakura was on the end, Ryou next to him, followed by Malik and Marik. They listened as the countdown commenced, five, four, three, two, and one! The first firework lit off, shooting off into the sky and exploding into a multitude of different colors.  
  
"Holy Ra!" Marik yelped. "The sky is exploding!" Both Ryou and Malik giggled at Marik's outburst.  
  
"Iie, the sky isn't exploding. Those are fireworks."  
  
"Oh." Marik muttered, looking a bit embarrassed. Bakura laughed at the look on his dark friend's face before another firework flew up with a loud 'bang', making Bakura jump up in fright. The yami glared as Marik snickered back at him, and huffed angrily.  
  
The fireworks continued to go off, and Ryou and Malik were mesmerized by the show, staring at the sky with wide eyes and open mouths. Soon enough though, they began to grow wearier. Ryou's eyes kept closing for a minute, before Ryou snapped awake again, only to do the same thing a few moments later.  
  
Bakura, instead of watching the display in the sky, watched Ryou as the other tried his hardest to stay awake. He leaned over and wrapped his arms around the light, pulling the other closer to him and having Ryou's head rest on his shoulder. To his immense relief and satisfaction, Ryou didn't tense, but relaxed and leaned back into Bakura's side. Bakura shot a glance at Marik, and found that the yami had done the same thing with his own hikari, and that the small platinum haired teen had already dozed off in his yami's arms. Bakura listened as Ryou's breaths began to slow, signaling he was asleep.  
  
Bakura wrapped Ryou's arms around his shoulders, and stood up, balancing the boy on his back as he tried to give him a piggyback on the way home. Marik followed his example, carrying Malik on his back as well.  
  
"I suppose we'll have to stay the night again." Marik muttered quietly, so as not to awake the sleeping form he was carrying.  
  
"I'm sure Ryou won't care." Bakura whispered back. "Let's just get these two into bed."  
  
Upon arriving back at Ryou's house, Bakura took Ryou upstairs into his room, and laid him down on his satin colored sheets. Marik walked into the room after laying his hikari down in the guest bed, and stared at Bakura curiously.  
  
"Why don't you let him sleep in his own room?" He questioned. Bakura covered Ryou with the blankets, his back facing Marik.  
  
"Because, I don't know how he will react if he wakes up in his own bed. It was there that I-..." He broke off and stared down at the sleeping angel below him. "Aishiteru Ryou-chan." He sighed kissing the boy's forehead lovingly.  
  
Marik stood at the doorway and watched the display of emotions with an expressionless face. Bakura stood up from Ryou's sleeping form and walked out past Marik and into Ryou's room, shutting the door softly behind him. Marik watched Ryou sleep for a few moments, before heading back into the guest room that held his own hikari. He quickly stripped himself down into his boxers before climbing in the bed next to Malik. He brushed a stray strand of hair away from Malik's eyes, the other sighing softly in his sleep. Marik placed a gentle kiss on Malik's cheek, wrapped his arms around the light, and fell into a deep slumber.  
  
In the next room, Ryou was sound asleep, until he hastily awoke from a nightmare. Ryou had dreamt that everyone he cared about had left him, first Malik, then Yugi-tachi, and then Bakura. He rubbed at his watery eyes and sniffled before looking around him, finding out he was in Bakura's room. He stood up, and shed out of his clothes that Bakura had left him in, keeping on his boxers. Cautiously, he quietly tiptoed down into his own room and saw Bakura sleeping in his bed. He silently opened his dresser door and pulled out some comfortable pajamas before climbing into bed next to his yami. He let out another small sniffle before snuggling into the other's side.  
  
"Aishiteru Bakura-sama. Please don't ever leave me." Ryou whispered meekly. Bakura, still asleep, unconsciously wrapped his arm around Ryou, pulling the other closer to him. The yami mumbled a bit, before falling silent once again, burying his head into Ryou's silvery mane. Ryou smiled happily and closed his eyes, content. He would always stay by Bakura's side, and love him forever, even if the other didn't return his feelings. "Aishiteru."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chibi B: Well, here's chapter two!  
  
Taski: It sucked.  
  
Chibi B: I know... -_- Sorry if I'm rushing the plot a bit, but I'm trying to finish this whole thing up before school starts, which is in about two weeks.  
  
Taski: What about band? :P  
  
Chibi B: Crap...make that one week. -_- I have band camp. *fake cheer*  
  
Taski: *laughing*  
  
Chibi B: *sigh* R&R please! It helps me work harder on this fic! 


	3. Chapter 3

Heartfelt Apologies  
  
Chibi B: Hiya! It's been a while, hasn't it? ^^; Sorry! *bows* I've been away at camp and now school has started.. ;_; Argh. I hate high school.  
  
Taski: *snickering as he remembers how bad her first day was*  
  
Chibi B: -_- Shut up! Anywho, here is the next chappie! There WAS a lemon scene..but I just got this e-mail saying that FF.net was now deleting all of the R fics with lemons in them. And it scared me.. I DON'T want this fic to be deleted. Maybe I'll post the lemon later? Oh! And I'm sorry to the people who wanted it to only be B/R M/M..I tried, really I did. ^^; But I couldn't help but make it a B/R/M/M! Sorry again! I'll try to write another fic STRICTLY B/R and M/M! I promise!  
  
Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own anything.  
  
HEARTFELT APOLOGIES IS NOW DEDICATED TO MY BESTEST ONLINE FRIEND! THANK YOU CELESTIAL!!  
  
Go check out her fics! They're awesome!!!! ^___^  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Bakura was the first to wake, blinking his eyes open and stretching his arms above his head. He went to sit up, but froze when he heard a soft moan. Looking down, he was surprised to find Ryou curled up next to him, his head resting on Bakura's chest. The yami stared at the other confusedly, and carefully slid out from underneath him. Ryou frowned in his sleep and whimpered at losing the warm body heat of his other half, curling into a tight ball. Bakura smiled at how cute Ryou looked just then, and pulled the blanket up over to Ryou's chin. The boy snuggled down into the covers and smiled softly, making Bakura want to scream out 'kawaii'. He silently slid out of the room, clad in his boxers, and down the hall to check on Malik and Marik. Peeking through the door, he felt his eyes soften at the sight before him.  
  
Malik had somehow, in his sleep, managed to roll on top of Marik without waking him, and was currently curled up on Marik's chest, snoring softly. It was an adorable sight for anyone to see. Marik on the other hand, had his arms and legs sprawled out and was snoring loudly, drool hanging out of the corner of his mouth. Bakura suppressed the urge to snicker and snuck back to Ryou's room, pulling out a camera. He quietly pushed the door open, aimed, and snapped a picture.  
  
The click and flash woke Marik up instantly, and the yami stared around, confused, before his eyes met Bakura's standing in the doorway with the camera. On seeing the contraption in the yami's hands, he glared and tried to get up to go beat the hell out of him, but realized that something was preventing him from doing so. Glancing down, he saw his hikari sleeping peacefully on his chest and let out an uncharacteristic squeak while jumping back, hitting the headboard in the process.  
  
Of course, this caused Malik's form to slip down lower, until his head was pressed against a place that made Marik feel veeeery uncomfortable. Marik turned a brilliant shade of red and there was another flash of light as Bakura took an additional picture, trying hard not to laugh. Marik growled at him, but the growl was cut off by a choked moan as Malik began to nuzzle Marik through his boxers while still sleeping. Marik's eyes widened and he panicked, looking at Bakura with a pleading expression.  
  
The white-haired dark had half a mind to just leave Marik there, but then thought of how he would react if he were in the same position. Sighing, he walked over to the bed and carefully lifted Malik up so Marik could slide out from under him. Setting Malik back down on the bed, he wrapped the other in the comforters and turned to a panting and relieved looking Marik. He set the camera on the dresser and motioned the other out of the room and shut the guest room door so Malik wouldn't be woken up by them talking.  
  
"You might want to get rid of that." Bakura suggested, trying to keep a straight face while looking at Marik's obvious arousal.  
  
"Urusei." Marik glared, crossing his arms. Then, getting a wicked idea, he put on a suggestive grin. "Why don't you take care of it for me?" Bakura raised an eyebrow at him, curiously, wondering if he was actually extending an invitation or joking. Thinking he was just joking, he shrugged and smirked at the other.  
  
"It'll cost you." Bakura warned, deciding to play along with Marik. Marik licked his lips and looked Bakura up and down.  
  
"Hmmmm, really?" He purred, stepping closer until he and Bakura were eye to eye. Marik noticed with some humor that he was a bit taller than Bakura, and that he had to look down to see into the other's eyes. The albino spirit looked up at Marik, confused, when the other suddenly grabbed him by the locks of his hair and crushed his mouth against him, tracing the other's lips with his tongue, seeking entrance.  
  
~*~*~*~Err...time to run away little kiddies. Or, stay if you want to. @_@~*~*~*~  
  
Bakura's eyes went wide in shock. Marik was kissing him!?!? He was too stunned to react to Marik's ferocious and unexpected kiss, and just stood there, immobile. Marik, growing tired of the lack of response from Bakura, bit down on the yami's lip, causing Bakura to open his mouth. Marik took that to his advantage and slipped his tongue in, exploring every inch of Bakura's mouth that he could.  
  
Bakura snapped out of his daze and moaned, grabbing on to the other's shirt to hold himself upright while he fought against Marik's tongue for dominance in the kiss. He soon lost and was pushed up against the wall, Marik pinning the dark one's hands above his head. Marik broke off, panting, and smirked evilly at his prey. He started attacking Bakura's neck with bites and licks, making the other's eyes roll back in his head and give a small lust filled groan.  
  
"M-Marik, what. Nnnn! What are you doing?" Bakura stammered out, biting his lip to try and stifle his mewls of pleasure.  
  
"What does it look like?" Marik paused momentarily from sucking on Bakura's shoulder and looked up at the flushed yami. He licked a trail upwards to Bakura's ear and sucked on the lobe sensually. "What's it going to cost to get you to take care of my, er, 'problem'?" He whispered, holding Bakura's arms above him with one hand while the other trailed lightly over Bakura's well-toned chest, brushing his fingers lightly over the yami's nipple, making it harden at the soft touch. "Well?" Bakura panted harshly, his eyes half lidded and fogged over with lust and pleasure. Marik grinned, enjoying the way Bakura gasped and writhed between him and the wall. "Would your release, perhaps, be enough?"  
  
"Yessssss......" Bakura moaned trying to rub himself against Marik. He hadn't remembered ever submitting to someone before, and the tomb robber inside him was fuming with anger at the loss of his self-control. Chuckling, Marik moved his hands down to Bakura's hips and gripped them tightly before thrusting hard against him.  
  
Bakura threw his head back against the wall and groaned loudly, running his freed hands all over Marik's body as the other continued to grind against him roughly. Marik then mashed their lips together again, forcing his tongue into Bakura's mouth and kissing the other heatedly. Bakura broke off and gasped loudly, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.  
  
"More." He begged hoarsely, nipping at Marik's lower lip and meeting the other's hips thrust for thrust. ".. Aaaahhh!!" He nearly screamed as Marik's hand slipped into the back of his boxers, and was currently probing his entrance with a dry finger while driving their cloth covered erections together even harder than before. "Maariiiiiiikk!!!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~It's safe now! You can come out from hiding! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Where's all that racket coming from?" Malik opened the door and stepped out of the hall, grumbling. When he saw Bakura and Marik, he froze, and gaped at them.  
  
"What's going on out here?" Ryou mumbled, rubbing at his eyes sleepily, stepping out of his room as well. He peered them opened, and his jaw dropped at what he saw. "N-Nani?" Marik jumped back from Bakura, sputtering.  
  
"Uh, we just, um, uhhh." Bakura slumped to the floor, leaning against the wall and hugged his knees to his chest, actually blushing, and trying to hide his hard-on.  
  
"Sorry if I interrupted anything." Malik spoke sourly, stepping back into his room and shutting the door, locking it as well. Ryou, who was slightly flushed at seeing the two half naked in the hall and making out, bowed his head and stepped back into his room.  
  
"Gomen nasai Bakura-sama, for interrupting." He apologized quietly, and shut the door to his room softly, avoiding Bakura and Marik's gaze. Bakura glared up at Marik accusingly, blaming him for what just happened.  
  
"You wanted it too!" Marik huffed, though he was feeling slightly guilty. He didn't know what came over him. Marik knew he loved his hikari, but also found himself wanting to be with Bakura and Ryou too. But, he decided that right now his aibou needed him. "Malik! Open up! I need to talk to you!" He shouted, pounding on the door, ignoring the fact that he was still painfully aroused.  
  
"Ryou!" Bakura yelled as well, getting up and knocking on the door. "Can I come in?" Neither yamis got a reply and they both sighed, giving each other helpless looks. "I can go into Ryou's room because his door doesn't have a lock on it anymore." Bakura said, "But, you'll have to pick the lock to get into that room." Marik sighed again.  
  
"What if Ryou locked himself in the bathroom? I know that room has a lock." Bakura cursed, forgetting about that room.  
  
"Then I'll have to pick that too. Ryou? I'm coming in." Bakura announced, opening the bedroom door, and was dismayed to find that Ryou had, in fact, locked himself into the bathroom. Walking over to the door, he rapped on it lightly. "Ryou? Can you open the door please? I need to talk to you." He received a sniffle in response. "Ryou? Onegai?"  
  
Meanwhile, Marik was picking the lock to the guest room, and had it opened within a few minutes. He threw the door open and waltzed into the room, looking for his hikari.  
  
"Go away Marik." Malik said boldly, lying face down on the bed, his head resting in his arms. Marik inwardly winced, but walked in anyways.  
  
"Malik? Come on, I need to tell you something."  
  
"You and Bakura are together? Wow, I never would have guessed." Malik mumbled sarcastically, his body tense in case his yami decided to get violent with him.  
  
"Malik, it's not like that. I don't know what came over me." Marik admitted hesitantly, sitting down on the bed next to Malik.  
  
"You just got up and decided that you and Bakura were going to fuck in the hallway?" Malik spat, his voice muffled by his arms. "There wasn't a reason?"  
  
"Well, ah, there was a reason." Marik reddened; remembering that what had triggered the whole incident was Malik himself.  
  
"I don't want to know." Malik growled, though on the inside he was heartbroken. His yami loved someone else, and that someone else was another person he loved. Malik sighed, eyes watering, he should have known that things weren't going to get any better than they were.  
  
"Malik? Onegai. Look at me?" Malik ignored him, and buried his head further into his arms. Marik scowled, pulling Malik up so that he was face to face with him. He was puzzled that there were tears in the light's eyes, and he brushed them away. "What's wrong?"  
  
"You love someone else! That's what!" Malik blurted, then covered his mouth cursing himself for once again for blabbing out something he shouldn't have said. He averted his eyes and waited for Marik to become mad with anger and take it out on him. Minutes went by and nothing happened. Malik dared to take a glimpse at Marik, and was surprised to see that Marik looked rather upset.  
  
Hearing Malik's words had stunned Marik more than the other would realize. Did he love Bakura? Thinking about the way Bakura looked, writhing beneath him as they ground their hips together made Marik shudder in pleasure. But... He looked at Malik. He loved his hikari too, and what about Ryou? Marik bit his lip, and frowned, distressed. Then, his thoughts turned back to why Malik was so upset that he thought he loved someone else. Realization dawned on him and he stared at Malik with awed eyes.  
  
"Does that mean, that, that you love me?" He asked, disbelievingly.  
  
"Yes! I do! I love you! There? Are you happy now? I already know you don't return my feelings so why don't you just go back to Bakur-!" He was cut off as Marik leaned down and enveloped the boy's lips in a soft kiss.  
  
"I love you too Malik. Aishiteru." Marik whispered as he pulled back, and hugged Malik close to him.  
  
"But, but what about Bakura? Am I just a second wheel or something?" Malik asked, confused, but relaxing in Marik's arm anyways. "Or, or do you love both of us?" Malik blinked, not even considering the fact that this might just be just a cruel trick Marik was playing on him. Marik was silent, contemplating.  
  
"You're not a second wheel, and yes, I think, I think that I may care for Bakura as well. And Ryou too." Marik spoke slowly. "Gomen, but I, I can't seem to help it."  
  
"Daijoubu." Malik timidly wrapped his arms around his other half. "I seem to, have fallen in love with them as well." He admitted. "This, isn't some joke, right? You, you really love me?" Malik whimpered, not sure to believe something that sounded so perfect.  
  
"Hai. Not a joke." Marik smiled. "Aishiteru." Malik gave a soft cry of happiness, and held onto his yami tighter, tears of joy streaming out of his eyes.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
In the meantime, Bakura had successfully picked the bathroom lock and turned the doorknob to speak with his hikari. Seeing his light curled up on the toilet seat, he rushed over and enveloped the boy in a hug.  
  
"Ryou, gomen nasai! I never meant for you to see something like that." Bakura confessed, stroking his light's hair softly. "Please Ryou, don't be upset."  
  
"Does this mean you and Marik-sama are, together?" Ryou asked quietly, his head resting on his knees, not looking up at Bakura.  
  
"Um, well, I, I don't really know." Bakura stammered. He loved his hikari with all his heart, but the two blonds had somehow managed to worm their way into his favor as well. Ryou stayed silent, trying his hardest not to cry. He knew sooner or later the day would come where Bakura would fall in love with someone and leave him alone. But, he didn't know that it would be so soon.  
  
"It's okay Bakura-sama. I'm sure you and Marik-sama will be very happy together." Ryou forced out, sniffling, and hugged his knees tighter to himself.  
  
"Ryou..." Bakura begged. It was now or never; time to admit his feelings Ryou. He took a deep breath. "There, there's something I want to tell you. Demo, you need to look at me."  
  
"I, I don't want to Bakura-sama." Ryou whimpered out softly. It would hurt him too much to look at Bakura right now.  
  
"Ryou. Onegai? It's very important." Bakura lifted Ryou's head up, and looked into the bloodshot eyes of his aibou. "Nani? Ryou, what's wrong?" He embraced the boy once again, holding him close to his chest. Ryou mumbled something, crying slightly. "Nan desu ka?" Bakura soothed, pulling his Ryou's head away from his shirt. Ryou hiccupped, and looked up at Bakura.  
  
"A-Ai-Aishiteru Bakura-sama!" He wailed, and latched onto a shocked Bakura, letting out harsh sobs as he clutched onto his yami's shirt, expecting to be thrown out of his arms and beaten for admitting such a feeling. "I know you don't love me back, but, but I needed to tell you!"  
  
"Oh Ryou," Bakura held the boy close, kissing the top of his head. "Aishiteru! I love you too Ryou, don't be sad.."  
  
"Iie!" Ryou sobbed, "You love M-Marik-sama! I, I'm just your weak hikari. You, you can't possibly love me! Nobody can love someone like me...."  
  
"You are not weak Ryou! Don't you dare say something like that about yourself." Bakura said sternly. "And about Marik," He paused, thinking over what he was about to say. "I, I think I love him too, along with Malik and you. It seems that I've happened to fall in love with three different people." Bakura laughed humorlessly, tears beginning to gather at the corner of his own eyes. Ryou noticed this, and pulled away from Bakura.  
  
"Bakura-sama, please, don't cry." He whispered sadly. "Onegai?" Bakura smiled down at Ryou and brushed the other's hair away from his eyes, blinking back his tears.  
  
"Anything for you Ryou-kun. As long as you're happy." He carried Ryou out of the bathroom and set him on the other's bed, sitting down next to him.  
  
"Bakura-sama. I have something else to say too." Ryou spoke quietly, staring down at the blanket. "I, I think I like Marik-sama and Malik too." Bakura blinked at him and Ryou explained quickly. "I mean, I think I've liked Malik more than a friend for a long time, just like I've liked you for a long time, he was the only one who was nice to be, but recently I've begun to feel the same way towards Marik-sama and I don't know why and I'm sorry but I can't help it and please don't hate me I know already they don't feel the same way but-!" Bakura silenced the jabbering hikari with his lips.  
  
"Daijoubu." He assured, flashing a smile at his blushing light.  
  
"Wow. Today seems like a confessions day or something." Marik joked dryly, standing in the doorway with Malik, who was leaning against him, eyes puffed up from crying.  
  
"We, we heard everything." Malik mumbled. "Why didn't you tell me Ryou- chan?" Ryou shrugged and looked down at the ground.  
  
"Gomen nasai Malik-kun. I understand if you hate me now..."  
  
"Hate you?" Malik blinked, then laughed lightly. "Ryou-chan, I could never hate you. I, I love you too." He walked over to the bed, and sat in front of Ryou and Bakura. "I love you also Bakura, for some, odd reason I can't explain." Bakura frowned as Marik giggled at him tiredly.  
  
"And I too." He slumped over to the queen sized bed, next to Malik. "Hn. When did I become so soft?" He growled to himself, though he was still smiling.  
  
"Wow. This is like, a dream or something." Malik admitted dazedly. "One day, I'm getting beaten and abused and nobody cares about me, and the next day, I wind up with three lovers, one being my former torturer from before, one being my best friend, and another being my best friend's yami." Ryou chuckled.  
  
"I know what you mean."  
  
"Hn. Well, this is no dream, it's reality." Marik leaned over and kissed Ryou's nose lightly. "And we love you. Both of you." He brushed away Ryou's newly formed tears and was about to kiss him when he was pulled back by Bakura and into the yami's lap.  
  
"They're tired." Bakura reasoned, and leaned his head against Marik. "Let's let them sleep." Marik gave a feral grin and turned around in Bakura's lap, straddling the other's thighs.  
  
"Alright. But that means I get to finish up playing with you." He licked Bakura's lips suggestively. "I AM still horny from earlier you know." The white haired spirit sighed in defeat and annoyance, blowing a stray strand of hair out of his eyes and nodded. Looking over Marik's shoulders at the blushing hikaris, he shrugged apologetically. Ryou nodded his okay and curled under the covers, cheeks still a faint pinkish color. Malik though, was openly drooling at the two, not as shy as Ryou was.  
  
"You two go ahead and sleep, we'll be downstairs if you need us." Bakura tried to push Marik away as the other tried to slip his hands down his pants. "Oyasumi." He stood up abruptly, making Marik fall onto the bed with a startled shout. Bending over the bed, he kissed Ryou and Malik on their cheeks, and bounded down the stairs, stopping at the doorway to give the other yami a small smirk.  
  
Marik grinned at Bakura and stood up to chase him, but paused and turned around, kissing each boy lightly. "Oyasumi!" He winked, and then bolted down after Bakura.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
This was where the lemon was SUPPOSED to be.. *kicks FF.net* -_- just  
when I got the courage to write it too.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"M-Marik? It's time to wake up.." A hesitant voice whispered to the sleeping yami on the floor. Marik groaned and peered his eyes open, seeing his hikari kneeling down in front of him and looking quite nervous.  
  
"Nani?" He slurred, burying his head into a bundle of thick silvery hair.  
  
"I-It's time to get up." Malik repeated, uneasiness still showing in his voice. "Ryou made breakfast." Marik nodded, not detecting the anxiousness Malik was presenting.  
  
"Hai. Be up soon." Bakura groaned and snuggled against Marik's chest, still sleeping soundly. Malik bit his lip and nodded, heading into the kitchen where Ryou was making French toast.  
  
"Are they up?" He questioned, blinking up at Malik. The hikari shook his head and kissed Ryou on his nose, causing Ryou to blush.  
  
"Ano, Ryou-chan." Malik stuttered. He paused and took a deep breath. Seeing he had Ryou's attention, he continued. "If, if Marik and Bakura, if they decide they don't want to be with us anymore, you and I, we, we'll still stay together, right?" The last part was spoken with so much hope, and fear it made Ryou wince. Ryou smiled sadly at him.  
  
"Of course Malik-kun. Aishiteru." Malik breathed a sigh of relief. "Demo, why would you think Bakura-sama and Marik-sama would leave us?" Malik winced and shrugged uneasily, not wanting to answer the question. Suddenly, both jumped when they heard a string of curses coming from the living room. Giving each other worried looks, they both ran out to find what was wrong.  
  
"Damnit Marik! I can barely move because of you! And look! I'm bleeding everywhere!"  
  
"I didn't hear you complaining last night!"  
  
"But still, you could have been more gentler!"  
  
"Hey! YOU'RE the one who kept screaming at me to go harder and faster! So don't whine to me!"  
  
"Yeah but-" He cut off when he heard a small cough at the doorway. Turning around he saw Ryou and Malik standing there and staring at them uncertainly. "Gomen Ryou-chan." Bakura said sheepishly, wincing as he stood up off of the floor. "Ohayo gozaimasu. How did you sleep?"  
  
"I slept fine Bakura-sama. Arigatou." Ryou blushed and stared at the ground, averting his eyes from Bakura's nude form. Bakura, not caring that he was naked, frowned hearing the sama.  
  
"Ryou-chan, it's just Bakura. Okay?" Ryou fidgeted a bit, and nodded. Even though what transpired the day before, he couldn't help being slightly fearful towards the two darks. Malik was the same way. His yami sighed sadly and walked up to Ryou. "Are you still afraid of me?" He asked seriously. Ryou stood there silently, uncertain.  
  
"H-Hai." He whispered. Bakura's face saddened even more and he lifted a hand up to brush a strand of his hikari's hair away from the other's eyes, glad that Ryou didn't flinch away from the touch.  
  
"Ryou, koi, I love you, and I promised that I would never hurt you again, so please, don't be frightened of me." He kissed the boy lightly, smiling warmly at him.  
  
Ryou's eyes watered hearing the kind-hearted words coming out of his yami's mouth and he surprised the spirit by throwing his arms around him, hugging him tightly.  
  
"Aishiteru!"  
  
Malik watched the scene unfold before him, delighted to see his new love so happy. He jumped up as warm arms circled around him and a head was placed on his shoulder.  
  
"I love you too Malik." The yami mumbled, giving him a soft peck on the cheek. "And just like Bakura said, I promised I would never hurt you again, and I plan to keep my word." Malik nodded silently, leaning back into Marik's arms.  
  
"Hey Ryou? What happened to breakfast?" Malik asked quizzically after a moment's silence.  
  
"Oh dear! The food must be freezing now!" Ryou hurried into the kitchen and found out that, indeed, the French toast had gotten cold. Sighing at the wasted food, he threw it away and started up another batch.  
  
Bakura walked in with Marik and Malik a few minutes later, having changed into some decent clothes. Bakura was limping every now and then, glaring at a snickering Marik. Ryou saw the slightly pained look on Bakura's face and pulled out some Advil for the yami. He tossed it to him and handed him a glass of water. Smiling gratefully at his hikari, Bakura downed the pills and the water quickly before settling down at the table, waiting for the food.  
  
Malik yawned and rubbed his eyes. He was still a bit drained from yesterday's events and wanted to take a small nap. Bakura, noticing Malik's tired eyes, pulled the hikari down to sit on his lap. Malik immediately stiffened, but relaxed and closed his eyes when Bakura began to stroke his hair softly, purring at the comforting touch.  
  
"Finished!" Ryou announced cheerfully, turning around to see Malik dozing on his yami's lap. "Kawaii.." He cooed, giggling softly. Malik opened a lilac colored eye and glared at the chuckling hikari before snuggling further into Bakura's arms. He felt safe whenever someone held him, and he loved the feeling of being protected.  
  
Ryou set down a huge plate of French toast in the center of the table, handing the three plates and silverware. Bakura downed his quickly, before helping himself to more. Marik also wolfed down his own food, almost as fast as Bakura, and served himself a second helping as well.  
  
Malik and Ryou stared at the two with their mouths open, not thinking anyone could eat so much so fast without choking. Breaking out of his stare, Malik quietly nibbled on his breakfast, still sitting on Bakura's lap. Ryou had sat down in a chair across from the two and next to Marik, and was picking at his French toast with disinterest. Marik scowled seeing that Malik and Ryou weren't eating enough. He picked up a fork and scooped some food up onto it.  
  
"Eat." He commanded sternly, looking at Ryou, holding the fork up to Ryou's face. Ryou looked at him questionably, but did as he was told, munching on the food and grimacing when he swallowed. Marik repeated the step, holding out the toast for Ryou to eat.  
  
Across the table, Bakura saw what Marik was doing and paused half way through eating another piece of French toast. He glanced at Malik, narrowing his eyes at how little the teen was eating, and followed what Marik was doing to Ryou. The process was repeated until Ryou and Malik couldn't eat anymore.  
  
"Iie. Onegai. No more." Ryou begged, already feeling sick to his stomach. He had eaten one and a half pieces. Usually he could only stomach a half a piece, rarely even a full.  
  
"Me too. Don't make me eat anymore." Malik groaned, burying his face into Bakura's shirt.  
  
"All right. You're done. But really you two, you need to eat more." Bakura scolded, rubbing Malik's back soothingly.  
  
"Kura's right. You two are too skinny!" Marik glared, running his hands over Ryou's ribs as proof. Ryou giggled and pulled back, blushing. He happened to be very ticklish, especially there.  
  
Marik grinned and made a mental note about Ryou's ticklish spot before standing up and stretching, waltzing into the living room and plopping down on the couch. Bakura carried Malik out as well, setting the tired light down on the other sofa and crawling over to rest on Marik's chest. Marik grunted at first, and readjusted Bakura into a more comfortable position, sighing as he pet the yami's long white hair.  
  
Ryou walked in ten minutes later, finishing cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen. He curled up next to Malik, resting his head on the other's shoulder. Soon enough, the four fell into a fitful sleep, snuggled against one of their partners.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*  
  
Ryou jumped awake when he heard the blaring noise of the phone ringing. Grumbling to himself, he stumbled into the kitchen and answered it.  
  
"Moshi moshi." He mumbled, stifling a yawn. "Bakura residence."  
  
"Ryou? It's Yugi!"  
  
"Yugi-kun! Konnichiwa!" Ryou's voice brightened. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine! You want to come over tonight? We're having a slumber party!"  
  
"Ano..." Ryou peeked out of the kitchen to see the three teens sleeping peacfully. He smiled gently. "I think I'll have to pass on tonight Yugi- kun. Gomen."  
  
"Aw, why?" Ygui asked, saddened.  
  
"Who's on the phone?" Bakura asked gruffly, stalking into the kitchen and plopping down on a chair. Ryou jumped, startled. He mouthed the name Yugi to him before turning his attention back to the phone conversation.  
  
"I just have a lot of work to do at the house, maybe some other time?" Bakura raised an eyebrow in question.  
  
\\What does he want?\\  
  
\He wants me to come over for a sleepover.\  
  
\\Well, why aren't you going?\\ Bakura asked quizzically, Ryou usually jumped at the chance to spend time with the midget and his friends.  
  
\I just, don't feel like going.\ Ryou lied. Truthfully, he really wanted to attend the party, he was rarely able to get out of the house. But, that wouldn't be fair to Malik, Bakura, and Marik, so, he decided he would stay.  
  
\\I can tell you're lying.\\ Bakura stated, crossing his arms and staring at Ryou accusingly. Ryou winced and looked at the floor.  
  
"Ryou? Are you there?" Yugi asked, worried when he didn't get a reply.  
  
"Oh! Gomen Yugi-kun! I - !" He broke off when Bakura snatched the phone out of his hands.  
  
"Ryou is going. So is Malik, Marik and I. If you've got a problem with that then too bad. See you tonight." Bakura hung up and turned back to his hikari, hands on his hips. "Better get ready."  
  
"Nani? Bakura-sama.."  
  
"Malik! Marik! Get your lazy asses up!" Bakura hollered, ignroing Ryou and waltzing into the living room. Ryou blinked at his retreating form, before following after him. Marik groaned on the couch and rolled over, facing away from Bakura. Bakura though, wouldn't take that from the yami and calmly pushed him off the couch.  
  
"Bakura!" Marik shouted, glaring up at him from his position on the floor. The white haired fiend flashed a feral grin at him before going over to wake the sleeping hikari up.  
  
"Malik, koi, wake up." He whispered, gently nudging the boy's side.  
  
"How come he gets a nice wake up call?!" Marik sputtered, still sitting on the carpet.  
  
"Because he deserves it." Bakura retorted before conintuing in trying to wake up Malik. The said hikari mumbled incoherently and snuggled further into the cushion. "Malik." Bakura prdded softly. "Come on, open you're beautiful eyes." Malk frowned and crinkled his nose before peering his eyes open blearily at him. He blinked a few times, before yelping and jumping back, surprised at seeing Bakura so close to his face. "Heh, gomen." Bakura apologized guiltily.  
  
"So, what did you wake us up for? I was having a great wet dream you know.." Bakura rolled his eyes at the other dark, ignroing him.  
  
"Get ready, we're going over to the Pharoaoh's light's house for a party."  
  
"Nani!?" Marik sputtered. "Why?"  
  
"Because the shrimp wanted Ryou to come, and Ryou said he wasn't going, even though he wanted to, and it was because of us."  
  
"I, I don't want to go." Malik whispered softly, looking at the ground.  
  
"Ano, Bakura-sama. I'd, really rather not go. It isn't fair to Malik and Marik-sama." Ryou interupted quietly. "I could always go some other time."  
  
"Iie." Bakrua shook his head stubbornly. "We're all going. Now, go get ready."  
  
Ryou sighed defeatedly. He didn't want to argue with Bakura, but, he glanced at a rather upset Malik and Marik, it really wasn't fair for them. His eyes teared up and he studied the floor, Malik and Marik were sure to hate him now.  
  
"Fine, we'll go." Marik huffed, though he still donned a look of annoyance. Malik nodded too, still looking upset. "Malik will have to borrow some of Ryou's clothes though."  
  
"I don't mind." Ryou said quietly, still avoiding eye contact with everyone. "Come on Malik, let's get dressed." Ryou led Malik upstairs to try on some of his clothes while Bakura and Marik waited downstairs.  
  
"Why are you making us go to the shrimp's place?" Marik whined. "I just wanted to stay here."  
  
"I think it will be better for Ryou and Malik. Ryou misses his friends, though I don't know why, and Malik thinks that they hate him, when most of them really don't. I just think that it would be better if they had time to get away from here and enjoy themselves."  
  
"Hn. Alright, but I sitll don't like it." Marik pouted. Bakura once again rolled his eyes before sitting down on the cushion chair, waiting patiently for Ryou and Malik to come back down.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Chibi B: And that's it. It seems a lot shorter without the lemon...And I added the last part on randomly to make it seem longer..^^;  
  
Taski: I know. It sucks big time.  
  
Chibi B: I know..wait, what does? My story or the lemon that had to be taken out?  
  
Taski: Both  
  
Chibi B: I figured as much. -_- R&R!!! It inspires me!  
  
Once again.. GO READ CELESTIAL'S FICS! THEY ROCK! ^______^ 


	4. Chapter 4

Heartfelt Apologies  
  
Chibi B: Hallo! ^.^ I liiive! XD Sorry there hasn't been any updates in a while. Okay, first of all, I posted the last part of chapter 3 here in case some people didn't read it. I accidentally uploaded this without knowing it, and didn't add this part until later, so, instead of going back to the last chapter and reading the part if you missed it, I decided to be kind to all you lazy folks like me, and post it here! ^_^  
  
Taski: -_-. Moron.  
  
Chibi B: He's just a sore lose since Painful Accusations has FINALLY been updated and someone guessed his evil plot..*glares at Taski*  
  
Another thing is that this chapter is WAY shorter than the last ones. I did this because I have a question for you all. Would you like to:  
  
Have longer chapters, but less frequent updates.  
  
OR  
  
Have shorter chapters (about 1500-3000 words) but more frequent updates.  
  
Truthfully, it doesn't matter to me, but I'm still curious. I've been trying to work on this a lot harder, but I've still been SO busy! . Homecoming is tomorrow, so, I'm hoping that after that it'll be easy going, and I'll actually have some free time to work on my fics, sorry if this chapter was rushed a bit. So, anyways, tell me what you think I should to with this story!  
  
Taski: I think you should TRASH IT!  
  
Chibi B: -_-.. I didn't ask for your opinion.  
  
THANK YOU REVIEWERS! HUGS AND KISSES FOR ALLLL! (Done by Ryou and Bakura of course! ^_^)  
  
Disclaimer: Have you seen any naked Bakuras or Mariks lately? No? Then I defiantly don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, cause if I did, that would be exactly what you would see..  
  
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Chapter 4  
  
Ryou jumped awake when he heard the blaring noise of the phone ringing. Grumbling to himself, he stumbled into the kitchen and answered it.  
  
"Moshi moshi." He mumbled, stifling a yawn. "Bakura residence."  
  
"Ryou? It's Yugi!"  
  
"Yugi-kun! Konnichiwa!" Ryou's voice brightened. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine! You want to come over tonight? We're having a slumber party!"  
  
"Ano..." Ryou peeked out of the kitchen to see the three teens sleeping peacefully. He smiled gently. "I think I'll have to pass on tonight Yugi- kun. Gomen."  
  
"Aw, why?" Ygui asked, saddened.  
  
"Who's on the phone?" Bakura asked gruffly, stalking into the kitchen and plopping down on a chair. Ryou jumped, startled. He mouthed the name Yugi to him before turning his attention back to the phone conversation.  
  
"I just have a lot of work to do at the house, maybe some other time?" Bakura raised an eyebrow in question.  
  
\\What does he want?\\  
  
\He wants me to come over for a sleepover.\  
  
\\Well, why aren't you going?\\ Bakura asked quizzically, Ryou usually jumped at the chance to spend time with the midget and his friends.  
  
\I just, don't feel like going.\ Ryou lied. Truthfully, he really wanted to attend the party, he was rarely able to get out of the house. But, that wouldn't be fair to Malik, Bakura, and Marik, so, he decided he would stay.  
  
\\I can tell you're lying.\\ Bakura stated, crossing his arms and staring at Ryou accusingly. Ryou winced and looked at the floor.  
  
"Ryou? Are you there?" Yugi asked, worried when he didn't get a reply.  
  
"Oh! Gomen Yugi-kun! I - !" He broke off when Bakura snatched the phone out of his hands.  
  
"Ryou is going. So is Malik, Marik and I. If you've got a problem with that then too bad. See you tonight." Bakura hung up and turned back to his hikari, hands on his hips. "Better get ready."  
  
"Nani? Bakura-sama.."  
  
"Malik! Marik! Get your lazy asses up!" Bakura hollered, ignoring Ryou and waltzing into the living room. Ryou blinked at his retreating form, before following after him. Marik groaned on the couch and rolled over, facing away from Bakura. Bakura though, wouldn't take that from the yami and calmly pushed him off the couch.  
  
"Bakura!" Marik shouted, glaring up at him from his position on the floor. The white haired fiend flashed a feral grin at him before going over to wake the sleeping hikari up.  
  
"Malik, koi, wake up." He whispered, gently nudging the boy's side.  
  
"How come he gets a nice wake up call?!" Marik sputtered, still sitting on the carpet.  
  
"Because he deserves it." Bakura retorted before continuing in trying to wake up Malik. The said hikari mumbled incoherently and snuggled further into the cushion. "Malik." Bakura prodded softly. "Come on, open you're beautiful eyes." Malik frowned and crinkled his nose before peering his eyes open blearily at him. He blinked a few times, before yelping and jumping back, surprised at seeing Bakura so close to his face. "Heh, gomen." Bakura apologized guiltily.  
  
"So, what did you wake us up for? I was having a great wet dream you know.." Bakura rolled his eyes at the other dark, ignoring him.  
  
"Get ready, we're going over to the Pharaoh's light's house for a party."  
  
"Nani!?" Marik sputtered. "Why?"  
  
"Because the shrimp wanted Ryou to come, and Ryou said he wasn't going, even though he wanted to, and it was because of us."  
  
"I, I don't want to go." Malik whispered softly, looking at the ground.  
  
"Ano, Bakura-sama. I'd, really rather not go. It isn't fair to Malik and Marik-sama." Ryou interrupted quietly. "I could always go some other time."  
  
"Iie." Bakura shook his head stubbornly. "We're all going. Now, go get ready."  
  
Ryou sighed dejectedly. He didn't want to argue with Bakura, but, he glanced at a rather upset Malik and Marik, it really wasn't fair for them. His eyes started to tear up and he studied the floor, Malik and Marik were sure to hate him now.  
  
"Fine, we'll go." Marik huffed, though he still donned a look of annoyance. Malik nodded too, still looking upset. "Malik will have to borrow some of Ryou's clothes though."  
  
"I don't mind." Ryou said quietly, still avoiding eye contact with everyone. "Come on Malik, let's get dressed." Ryou led Malik upstairs to try on some of his clothes while Bakura and Marik waited downstairs.  
  
"Why are you making us go to the shrimp's place?" Marik whined. "I just wanted to stay here."  
  
"I think it will be better for Ryou and Malik. Ryou misses his friends, though I don't know why, and Malik thinks that they hate him, when most of them really don't. I just think that it would be better if they had time to get away from here and enjoy themselves."  
  
"Hn. Alright, but I still don't like it." Marik pouted. Bakura once again rolled his eyes before sitting down on the cushion chair, waiting patiently for Ryou and Malik to come back down.  
  
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"Gomen nasai Malik-kun." Ryou sniffled, handing Malik a clean shirt to borrow.  
  
"Hm? For what?" Malik grabbed the clothing out of Ryou's hands and pulled it on quickly before struggling out of his pants. Ryou's face turned a faint pinkish color and he turned around, facing away from the sexy blond.  
  
"It's my fault we have to go to Yugi's party. Gomen." Malik gave Ryou an odd look, even though the other couldn't see it.  
  
"Ryou-chan, it isn't the end of the world! It's not like I hate you or anything." Malik assured, pulling on a pair of Bakura's tan leather pants. "You don't think Bakura will get mad that I'm wearing his pants do you?"  
  
"I don't know." Ryou shrugged. "Demo, Malik-kun, I really am sorry."  
  
"Ryou!" Malik rolled his eyes, exasperated. "It's okay! Seriously." He walked over to the depressed hikari and gave him a light peck on his cheek. "Now come on and get dressed." He tossed Ryou another pair of Bakura's leather pants, only these ones were black, and gave him a tight fitting sparkling green long sleeved shirt to go with them.  
  
"Ano, Malik-kun, I'm not sure if I should wear this." Ryou sweatdropped, staring at the clothes uneasily.  
  
"Come on Ryou-chan! You'll look sexy in them!" Malik grinned savagely at Ryou, who was turning as red as a tomato. Ryou sighed heavily and eyed the clothes again warily before shedding his pajamas and slipping them on. Malik decided to be decent and had turned away from Ryou as he was changing, but he still stole a couple of quick looks without the other knowing. "Are you done yet?"  
  
"Hai..Demo.."  
  
"Nan desu ka?"  
  
"You can see my underwear through them!" Ryou squeaked. Malik slapped his hand on his forehead in exasperation.  
  
"You're not supposed to wear anything underneath them!"  
  
"Demo-..."  
  
"Ryou! Just do it!" Ryou sighed but did as he was told. He reviewed his reflection in his dresser mirror and blushed. These clothes were way too tight.  
  
"Are you done now?" Malik asked, tapping his foot impatiently.  
  
"Hai." Ryou mumbled, still blushing. Malik turned around and froze, his jaw dropping. "Nani? Do I have something on my face?" Ryou asked nervously. Malik closed his gaping mouth and licked his now dry lips.  
  
"N-No. You look, you look great Ryou-chan." He stuttered, eyeing the blushing boy up and down.  
  
"Arigatou." Ryou smiled brightly. "You don't look too bad yourself."  
  
"Wait a minute! I've got an idea on how we can get out of going to Yugi's! If you don't mind that is." Malik said quickly.  
  
"Sure." Ryou shrugged. "As long as you're happy."  
  
"Sugoi! Arigatou Ryou-chan!" Malik smiled cheerily before hugging Ryou. "Alright, here's the plan. We'll beg them again into letting us not go to Yugi's!" Ryou blinked up at him curiously, not really comprehending what Malik was saying. Seeing the confused look Ryou was giving him, he tried explaining once again. "Think of it this way, with these clothes, and a little puppy dog eyes, they'll have to change their minds. Maybe we could even try to talk them into going out on a date with us instead of going over to the sleepover, besides, you have to admit a date sounds really nice right now."  
  
"Hai." Ryou admitted shyly. "Alright, I'll do it." Malik smirked and kissed Ryou's forehead lightly before taking the other's hand and leading him down the stairs. Peeking his head around the corner of the living room, he saw Bakura sitting casually in the cushion chair and Marik sprawled face down on the couch, his feet hanging over the edge.  
  
"Bakura?" Malik called, not stepping out fully from behind the wall. Bakura glanced up at him questionably. "Ano, you don't mind if Ryou and I borrowed some of your clothes do you?"  
  
"Iie, I don't care." Bakura waved his hand dismissively. "Now come on, we don't want to be late."  
  
"Well, Bakura, we were wondering." Malik stepped out from the corner, revealing his outfit and sauntering up to Bakura. "Can't we just skip going to Yugi's and go on a date instead?"  
  
Bakura's jaw dropped, not really listening to what Malik was saying. Malik looked damn sexy in those pants. He heard a small gasp and figured that Marik was thinking the same thing. He looked past Malik and saw Ryou still hiding behind the wall, blushing lightly.  
  
"Bakura?" Malik asked, staring at him weirdly. "Daijoubu desu ka?"  
  
"D-Daijoubu." Bakura swallowed thickly. "Now, what was it you wanted?"  
  
"Let's go on a date tonight instead! Onegai?" Malik's lower lip trembled, his eyes going big and watery. He turned around and glanced at Ryou. "Pssst! A little help?" He whispered before turning back around and giving Bakura his puppy dog face. Ryou stepped out shyly, staring at the ground and fidgeting slightly. Marik and Bakura both began to drool at him, which made Ryou even more uncomfortable. Taking a deep breath, Ryou looked up at the two yamis and put on his best begging face.  
  
"Can we PLEASE go out together tonight Bakura-sama? Onegai?" There was a collective moment of silence before..  
  
"Of course we can!!!" Marik yelled, startling everyone as he leapt off the couch and grasped onto Malik. "Isn't that right Kura-chan?" Bakura silently bristled at the nickname and looked at the two pleading hikaris. Sighing, he nodded in defeat.  
  
"Alright, we'll all go out tonight."  
  
"Sugoi!" Ryou and Malik cried out at the same time, Malik's voice sounding a little strained as Marik hugged him tighter.  
  
"Ano, you can let go of me now." Malik mumbled, his face turning pinkish as his yami began to nuzzle against his neck.  
  
"Hmmm..Iie." Marik purred, planting light kisses on the exposed flesh. "You should wear Bakura's clothes more often."  
  
"I-I'll keep that in mind." He stuttered before snuggling into the other's embrace. Ryou watched the two happily before turning his attention to his own yami as the other walked up to him.  
  
"You're not disappointed about not going to the party?" Bakura asked. He lifted his hand and fingered a lock of Ryou's soft white hair.  
  
"Iie, I'm not upset at all. I'd," he paused, face flushed. "I'd rather go out together anyways." Bakura smiled softly at him, placing his palm on the teens face. Ryou leaned into the gentle touch, closing his eyes in contentment.  
  
"Ready?" Marik asked, shocking Ryou and Bakura. Suddenly Ryou jumped up, hands flying to his mouth.  
  
"Oh dear, I should call Yugi and tell him I can't make it tonight!" He rushed into the kitchen and dialed Yugi's number, explaining to him the change of plans. "Okay, I'm ready now." Ryou smiled.  
  
"Er, Ryou-chan? Where exactly are we going?" Malik asked. Ryou sweatdropped.  
  
"I don't know..."  
  
"Let's go out for that cold cream stuff!" Marik shouted happily.  
  
"Cold, cream stuff?" Ryou asked quizzically, not understanding what the yami was referring to.  
  
"He means ice cream." Malik translated.  
  
"Oh! That's a great idea! There's an ice cream shop located near the park!" Ryou smiled. "We can walk if you want.."  
  
"Iie! We're going to take our motorbikes!" Marik said firmly. "I'll take Malik, Bakura, you take Ryou." Ryou, at the mention of the cycles, paled considerably. Sensing his hikari's sudden mood change, Bakura held the other's hand reassuringly.  
  
"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." He smiled. Ryou gave an uneasy smile back and nodded, still sort of unsure.  
  
"If you insist." He complied, following the three outside.  
  
Marik hopped onto his bike, Malik following immediately, not afraid of the vehicles at all. In fact, Malik rather enjoyed the rare times his yami let him ride the bike. Bakura pulled his out of the garage and also took out two helmets. He gave one to Malik, and one to Ryou.  
  
"Aren't you going to wear one?" Ryou asked concernedly. Bakura shook his head.  
  
"I'm a spirit, I can't die unless you do or if the ring is somehow destroyed."  
  
"But you could get hurt!" Ryou protested. He didn't want to see Bakura get injured if they got into an accident. Bakura grinned at Ryou, patting his head softly.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." He jumped onto his motorcycle and started it up, which made Ryou start in surprise. He put his helmet on quickly and looked at the bike hesitantly once more before hopping on behind Bakura. "Now, wrap your hands around my waist, and hold on tightly, okay?" Bakura instructed. Ryou blushed but did as he was told.  
  
Before he knew it they were racing down the street, Malik and Marik not far behind. He squealed and tightened his grip on Bakura's waist, shutting his eyes tightly. He heard Bakura chuckle softly at his actions, but ignored it, concentrating on keeping his hold on Bakura firm.  
  
"Hey Ryou! Where is this place again?" Bakura shouted over the noise of the engine and the wind blowing past them. Ryou squeaked and opened his mouth, but was unable to form words. He was frightened out of his mind.  
  
\\Ryou?\\  
  
\H-H-Hai?\  
  
\\...Daijoubu desk ka?\\  
  
\H-Hai.\  
  
\\If you say so.. Now, where is this place you were talking about again?\\  
  
Ryou sent his other half direction through the link, too scared to explain out loud. Finally, they pulled up to their destination. (not soon enough for Ryou though..^^;) Marik and Malik quickly parked their bike and leapt off, walking over to where Bakura and Ryou were. Bakura had also parked his motorcycle, and was currently trying to help Ryou unwrap his arms from around his waist.  
  
"Come on Ryou, we're not moving anymore." Bakura reasoned softly. Ryou just squeaked and held onto his other half tighter, burying his head into Bakura's back.  
  
"G-Gomen nasai! Demo, I just can't seem to control myself!" (Taski: That sounds SO wrong... Chibi B: -_-; Shut up..) Bakura sighed exasperatedly and looked over at the two blonde teens for help. Malik giggled at Ryou's actions and let his yami try to help the white haired hikari get off the bike.  
  
"Ryou?" Marik prodded gently, putting a hand on the other's shoulder. "It's all right now, you're not moving anymore, see?" Ryou peeked out from Bakura's back before burying right back in. Sighing, Marik wrapped his arms around Ryou's waist and pried off the light's arms that were wound around Bakura. Ryou gave a tiny shriek and grasped onto Marik tightly, encircling his legs around the yami's hips, which caused Marik to trip and fall backwards with a yell.  
  
Marik winced when his back hit the pavement, holding Ryou to his chest so the boy wouldn't get seriously injured from the fall. He smiled up at Ryou who was looking down at him tearfully.  
  
"Gomen! Daijoubu desu ka?" Ryou asked worriedly. "I'm so sorry! I won't do it again! I promise! It's just that I was scared! And I was afraid, so I held on to Bakura really tight and didn't want to let go, and then you, and I wasn't holding onto Bakura anymore! And then I thought I was going to fall! And so I grabbed on to you and made YOU fall over, and it was all my fault! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorr-mmmph!"  
  
Marik kissed the hikari's lips gently, cutting off the other's apologies. He pulled back, smirking at a flushed looking Ryou who was lying on top of him and staring at him dazedly with his chocolate brown eyes.  
  
"Stop apologizing, it wasn't your fault." Marik ordered softly, seeing Ryou about to continue with his strings of regrets.  
  
"Come on you two, get up off the ground so we can go!" Malik whined, while pointing at the ice cream shop in front of him.  
  
Ryou jumped up off of Marik and lent a hand out to help the other up before proceeding to where Malik and Bakura were standing.  
  
"Do you want to eat inside, or eat while taking a walk in the park?" Bakura asked.  
  
"Park!" Malik answered immediately, gaining an odd look from the two yamis. "What?" He blushed. "I like walking in the park.." Bakura shrugged.  
  
"That's fine with me. Let's go inside and get our ice cream stuff." He sauntered up to the building, his lovers behind him.  
  
Soon, the four were walking out with content looks on their faces as they lapped up the sweet treats they held in their hands. Ryou had gotten a small vanilla ice cream cone, and was licking at it delicately, careful not to let any drip, while Malik had a vanilla and chocolate twist. It was slightly larger than the cone Ryou held, and he was eating more sloppily, not really caring that the cold substance was dripping down his hands and arms.  
  
The two yamis that walked next to their hikaris were both eating their ice cream much more messily. The cream was stuck all over their faces, hands, arms, and even in their hair. Ryou and Malik giggled quietly at them and watched as Marik tried to balance his seven scoops of double fudge chocolate ice cream while eating it at the same time.  
  
The four walked and ate quietly, enjoying the peaceful surroundings the park provided them, basking in each other's presence. Nightfall soon came, and the teens treaded carefully back to the parked bikes.  
  
"Are we going home now?" Malik asked curiously, mounting the motorcycle after Marik. Marik shot a glance at Bakura and shook his head.  
  
"Iie, Bakura and I want to take you somewhere else first."  
  
"Where?" Ryou questioned, hesitantly climbing on the bike and wrapping his arms around Bakura.  
  
"It's a surprise." Bakura grinned slyly, starting up the engine and racing down the road. "You'll see when we get there."  
  
Ryou nodded his head against Bakura's back, trusting his dark to keep him safe. He couldn't help but wonder though, where Bakura and Marik wanted to take them. He sighed. Well, he'd find out when they arrived. He wound his arms around his yami tighter. For now, he'd just wait and see what Bakura had in store for him.  
  
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R&R!!!! 


	5. Chapter 5

Heartfelt Apologies  
  
Chibi B:....^^;;;;;;;;;;;; Hello? Anyone left?  
  
Taski: HA HA! They all HATE you now!  
  
Chibi B: =( I know... I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Sorry about not updating sooner. But my account wasn't WORKING! *frustrated* I finally get my computer fixed, and then I go to log in, but it DIDN'T WORK! *curses*  
  
Taski: XD *laughing madly in backround*  
  
Chibi B: *twitch* So, here is the long awaited chapter of Heartfelt Apologies! Thank you reviewers. *bows* I'm sorry I haven't been a good authoress. -_-; Plushies and candies for ALL!  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! OR Urban Legends.. Man was that a SCARY movie. *shudders* I wouldn't want to own it..  
  
Once again, thank you reviewers! You've all been so kind a patient with me! *bows* Ryou and Bakura gives you all kissies! ^_^  
  
***  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"Iie. Absolutely not."  
  
"Aw come on Malik! It'll be fun!"  
  
"No chance in hell."  
  
"Ryou! Make him change his mind." Bakura whined, gazing at his hikari with pleading eyes. Ryou looked at Bakura hesitantly, before staring at the ground.  
  
"Gomen Bakura-sama, but I agree with Malik-kun."  
  
"Why not?" Marik sulked angrily. They were parked outside of a nightclub for guys, and Malik and Ryou were absolutely refusing to go inside.  
  
"Because..." Ryou wrinkled his nose adorably. "It's a nightclub! We're probably not even old enough to enter!"  
  
"I can change that though." Marik smirked insanely, holding up his Millenium Rod.  
  
"Onegai?" Bakura practically begged his hikari. "For me?" Ryou flinched, he didn't want his yami to be upset with him, but; he looked at the club. He really didn't feel safe going to a place like that. Plus, he was also worried about Bakura and Marik both getting drunk. He didn't want them to hurt him and Malik again. The other blond haired hikari was thinking almost the same thing.  
  
"We'll go on one condition." Malik said, shifting his weight uneasily. Both yamis nodded at him, eager to agree to anything as long as they could all go inside. Malik stared up at the two seriously. "You can't have too many drinks, okay?"  
  
Bakura's face fell with realization, and quickly became a look full of shame. He pulled Ryou to him comfortingly, petting the other's hair gently.  
  
"We promise we won't drink a lot." He murmured, kissing Ryou's head lightly. "Now, let's go inside."  
  
Ryou and Malik nodded their heads uncertainly, still uneasy about going in, but followed their respective yamis anyways. They entered without much trouble (thanks to Marik) and were immediately blasted with the sound of loud dancing music and blinded by the bright lights. Bakura and Ryou separated from Malik and Marik, heading over to the couch area in the corner while Marik dragged his hikari across the dancing floor and over to the bar.  
  
"It's so loud!" Malik shouted, covering his ears as he followed Marik, trying to squeeze in between the mass of dancing men.  
  
"You'll get used to it!" Marik hollered back, ordering himself and Malik a beer upon arriving at their destination. Receiving the two drinks, he threw one to his light before popping his own open and taking a big swig out of it.  
  
"You promised you wouldn't drink a lot, remember?" Malik said warily, sipping at his beer lightly. Marik winced, feeling guilt-ridden.  
  
"I know. I promise." He leaned over and gave Malik a soft kiss on his cheek. Malik blushed and turned his head away, staring at the people dancing on the floor and listening to the music coming from the speakers.  
  
***Over to Ryou and Bakura***  
  
"Why are we over here Bakura-sama?" Ryou asked innocently, staring up at his yami with his beautiful chocolate brown eyes. Bakura smiled and tenderly pulled Ryou onto his lap once he sat on one of the couches in the secluded part of the club. He nuzzled his head against Ryou's neck before planting light kisses on the pale flesh. Ryou blushed heavily and couldn't help but give out a soft whimper at his yami's ministrations.  
  
"I love you Ryou, you know that, right?" Bakura spoke softly, burying his face into Ryou's silvery mane.  
  
"Hai, I know." Ryou said, confused at to what Bakura was trying to get at.  
  
"And you know how sorry I am about what happened that night, right?" Ryou winced, hearing the pain laced into Bakura's voice.  
  
"Hai."  
  
. . .  
  
"Can I kiss you?"  
  
Ryou looked up, startled at his yami's question. He'd never asked Ryou's permission before. He nodded his head shyly, his face a light pinkish color. Bakura smiled and gently turned Ryou's face towards him before bending down and brushing his lips against his hikari's. He let out a quiet moan, and kissed him more passionately this time, plunging his tongue into the other's mouth.  
  
Ryou moaned into the kiss, grasping on to Bakura's shirt as the other gently lowered him to the soft cushions. He broke off from the kiss, panting for air, and stared up at Bakura in awe. Bakura smirked and rubbed their noses together lovingly.  
  
"Arigatou." He whispered into Ryou's ear. He rested his head on his light's shoulder, and sighed. Below him, Ryou smiled brightly and snuggled underneath his dark, content. They rested like that, against each other relaxingly, for what seemed like hours before Bakura reluctantly got up. "You want something to drink?" He asked his other who yawned cutely and nodded. "Okay, I'll go get us something. You stay here, okay?" Ryou nodded once again and watched as Bakura got up, and crossed over to the bar.  
  
\\Is water alright?\\ Bakura asked through their link, startling Ryou and making him jump up in surprise.  
  
\Hai. Water is fine.\ He sat there, patiently waiting for his yami to return, when he suddenly felt someone sitting down next to him on the couch.  
  
"Hey beautiful." A voice purred. "Remember me?" Ryou looked over, and blushed seeing the same guy that was at the carnival the day before, the one passing out the corndogs.  
  
"Ano.. Hello?" Ryou squeaked out, slowly backing away from the man.  
  
"What are you backing away for?" The guy grinned, scooting closer to Ryou as the other backed away to the corner of the sofa. "I just wanted to know if you would dance with me."  
  
"S-Sorry. But I'm here with someone else." Ryou stuttered, becoming uncomfortable as the man bent down to him closer.  
  
"Really? Well that's a real shame. Where is that lucky person?"  
  
"U-uh, he-he's.." He paused, hearing someone clear their throat loudly. He peeked over the man's shoulder cautiously. "Bakura-sama!" He breathed, thankful that he showed up just in time.  
  
"Just who do you think you are trying to get your filthy paws on MY hikari!?" Bakura snarled, eyes flashing angrily. He was holding two glasses full of water and you could see the ice cubes trembling as he tried to control his rage. He stared down at the man hovering over Ryou threateningly.  
  
"Errr.." The now wide-eyed man stuttered. He glanced down at Ryou one more time before jumping back quickly. "I'll just be leaving now.." He said hesitantly before bolting away and out into the groups of bodies on the dance floor.  
  
Bakura growled, still furious, and was about to follow after him, but was stopped when Ryou gently tugged on his shirt. He looked down and his anger immediately diminished at seeing his hikari's innocent and pleading gaze.  
  
"Sit here with me?" Ryou pleaded shyly. Bakura hesitated. He wanted to go rip the head off of the guy who hit on his hikari, but he also didn't want to upset Ryou. Warring with himself for a few moments, he finally sighed and plopped down next to his light.  
  
"Arigatou." Ryou smiled. Bakura handed Ryou his cup wordlessly, and sipped on his own, watching the various men dance wildly on the floor. His eyes traveled to a particular couple, and he gasped in shock spitting out his water. Ryou peered at him questionably, concern shining in his brown depths. Bakura grinned.  
  
"Check out who's dancing." He said, pointing out on the floor. Ryou followed his gaze and gasped upon seeing Malik and Marik dancing with each other wildly. "Want to go join them?"  
  
"Ano.." Ryou stuttered, blushing and shifting uncomfortably.  
  
"Daijoubu." Bakura kissed Ryou's nose, sensing his light's hesitance. "Stay right here." Bakura stood up and walked out onto the floor towards Marik and Malik. He tapped the blond-haired yami on his shoulder and whispered into his ear. Marik nodded his head and bent down to kiss Malik on the lips before sending him over to Ryou.  
  
"Hey Ryou-koi." Malik smiled, plopping down next to Ryou and giving him a small kiss on the cheek. Ryou blushed at the nickname and looked at Malik curiously.  
  
"Why aren't you dancing?"  
  
"They said they wanted to put on a show for us." Malik shrugged, and turned towards the crowd, his jaw dropping immediately at what he saw. Ryou turned and looked as well, having almost the same reaction Malik had.  
  
Marik and Bakura were dancing together erotically, grinding and rubbing against each other to the beat. Eyes shut and heads thrown back as they continued their almost violent dance moves, Marik leaned down to kiss Bakura harshly, his teeth biting into the other yami's lip. Bakura wrapped one of his legs around Marik's hip, panting with his eyes half lidded and moaned loudly.  
  
Ryou shuddered, his breathing quickening and eyes glazed over as he watched the two yamis out on the floor. Next to him, he felt Malik tense up as well, and could here the others rapidly increasing breaths.  
  
"Oh Ra.." Malik whispered. "It- ..They-... They're-."  
  
"I know." Ryou said, his voice just as quiet as Malik's. They continued to watch their darks, enraptured by the way the two moved to the music and how absolutely sexy they looked. Finally, the song ended, and Marik and Bakura made their way back to the two lights.  
  
"Enjoy the show?" Marik asked, smirking widely at the two's flushed and dazed out looks.  
  
"Y-Yeah." Malik stammered, licking his dry lips. "It was great." Marik grinned approvingly and looked around their surroundings, his grin growing wider once he recognized this area of the club.  
  
"Hey, Kura-chan,"  
  
"Don't call me that."  
  
"...Kuuurraaaa-chaaaaaan..."  
  
"Marik." Bakura growled warningly, his left eye twitching.  
  
"Do you know where we are?"  
  
"Yes, baka, I know where we are. We're at a nightclub."  
  
"No, I mean what part of the club we're in." Bakura looked around, and then frowned at the other yami.  
  
"Yes. I know what part we're in." Bakura crossed his arms, staring at the other with a raised eyebrow. "And the answer is no, we are not going to make out." He added after seeing Marik about to open his mouth. The psychopathic dark pouted in disappointment.  
  
Malik and Ryou just stared at their darks curiously, but opting not to ask what exactly they were talking about. Ryou suddenly yawned, blinking blearily, and leaned his head against Malik's shoulder. Seeing Ryou's tired expression made Bakura's face soften, and he smiled warmly down at his aibou. Signaling to Marik, Bakura pulled his hikari up so the other leaned against him.  
  
"I think it's time to leave." Bakura said amusedly as Ryou yawned again and nodded tiredly. Malik stood up and followed them out of the club, sighing as his yami ordered one more quick drink at the bar.  
  
"Are we going home now?" Malik asked, blinking up at the two darks. Marik nodded his head as Bakura shook his instead. Marik raised an eyebrow inquisitively at Bakura.  
  
"We're going over to Yugi's now." Bakura said casually, mounting his bike and pulling Ryou up with him.  
  
"What?" Malik cried out, clearly upset. "But I thought.." Marik frowned as well.  
  
"Bakura-sama.." Ryou pleaded. "Can't we just go home? Malik and Marik- sama.." Bakura shook his head firmly.  
  
"We're going. For Ra's sake, it's only for a night!" Malik flinched and lowered his head. Bakura's face softened. "Malik, come on, just one night?" Malik sighed and nodded, still a little upset that he was being forced to attend the sleepover. "Okay then, let's go." He muttered, and climbed up on the bike after his yami.  
  
"We'll meet you there!" Bakura shouted, waving at the two blonds before speeding off on his motorcycle, Ryou clutching onto him tightly. Malik waved back, a fake smile plastered on his face. He really, really, really didn't want to go over to Yugi's. Being around him and the rest of the gang always him feel guilty and awkward, knowing that before he had tried to kill everyone and take over the world as pharaoh. He sighed, all of a sudden depressed.  
  
"I won't take you there if you really don't want to go." Marik said quietly, startling Malik who stared up at him in shock.  
  
"Demo, Bakura said.."  
  
"Who cares about what Bakura said?" Marik smirked, revving up his motorcycle. "I can tell you really don't feel comfortable going, so, we'll just go back to Ryou's instead." Malik smiled brightly and hugged his yami from behind, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.  
  
"Arigatou." He whispered, closing his eyes and leaning his forehead against his yami's back, a small smile lingering on his face as Marik sped back to the Bakura household.  
  
***  
  
Malik hopped off of the bike once they pulled up the driveway, yawning loudly and stretching his arms over his head. He glanced over to his yami, who was currently picking the lock to the front door.  
  
"Ano, Marik?" Malik said, staring at his yami oddly. "I have a key."  
  
"Oh well." Marik shrugged, finishing with the lock and slamming the door open. He marched inside, Malik following after him, and plopped down on the living room sofa. "How long do you think it will take Bakura to figure out we're not showing up?" Marik snickered, beckoning his hikari over with his hands.  
  
"I don't know." Malik murmured, blushing as his yami pulled him down to lie across his chest. "But he's going to be really mad at us." Malik bit his lip worriedly. Seeing the slight frown on Malik's face, Marik began to pet the other's hair gently in attempt to calm the teen down.  
  
"He'll get over it."  
  
"Demo.."  
  
"Don't worry about it Malik." Marik kissed the top of Malik's head lovingly. "If you're still concerned, we could always just ride over there." Malik's form went rigid on top of him, and he shook his head against Marik's chest.  
  
"I don't like hanging around them."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't know." Malik squirmed uncomfortably. "I just feel that, that it's wrong for me to hang out with them, after all I've done. And, and I know that Jou and Honda and a few of the others still hate me."  
  
"They don't hate you Malik.." Marik said reassuringly, trying to quell Malik's uneasiness.  
  
"Yes they do," Malik's fists clenched onto his yami's shirt, trying hard not to let the other know that he had tears in his eyes, "I know they do." He finished quietly, trembling in Marik's grasp. Marik held his hikari tightly, frowning when he felt the other shiver in his arms.  
  
"Yugi doesn't hate you." He said softly. "And the others, they don't hate you either, it's just that they're not used to you yet." He rubbed Malik's back comfortingly. "I'm sure that if you hang out with them more, they'll get to know you better."  
  
"But it's still wrong."  
  
"Nan desu ka?" Marik asked, confused. Malik closed his eyes and snuggled into Marik's chest, seeking comfort from him.  
  
"It's wrong for me to try to be friends with them. I'm tainted, and evil, and everyone I get close to ends up getting hurt. I don't deserve their friendship. That's why it's just, it's just wrong. I don't want to hurt them like I did to my sister."  
  
"Malik.." Marik said sadly, tightening his hold on his aibou.  
  
"I shouldn't be with you, Ryou, and Bakura either." Malik sniffled, tears leaking out of his sad violet-colored eyes. "I don't want to hurt you too."  
  
"Malik, the only way you could hurt us, would be by leaving us." Marik said sternly, troubled by what his hikari was saying. "We love you, never forget that." Malik smiled sleepily and nodded, eyes drooping shut.  
  
"I love you too." He whispered, before slipping off into a troubled sleep, safely wrapped around in his yami's embrace. Marik smiled at him tenderly, giving him one more light kiss before falling asleep himself.  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile, Bakura was just pulling up to Yugi's house, dismounting his bike, pulling Ryou off with him, and marching up to the front door with Ryou's arms still latched around his waist. He rang the doorbell repetitively, smirking to himself.  
  
"I bet that annoyed the hell out of that damn pharaoh.." He muttered, trying to pry Ryou's arms off of him. "Ryou-chan, we're here." Ryou perked up instantly, releasing his grip on Bakura's waist and looking around himself.  
  
"Shouldn't Marik-sama and Malik be here already?" He wondered, looking down the street. Bakura's reply was cut off when the door suddenly swung open, scaring the heck the poor light.  
  
"Ryou?" Yugi blinked, opening the door all the way and beckoning the two to come in. "I thought you weren't coming." Ryou smiled sheepishly.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry if I'm imposing on anything, but we had a change of plans." Yugi giggled at his friend, shaking his head.  
  
"You aren't interrupting us at all! We're glad you could make it!"  
  
"Nice to see you too, Shrimp." Bakura muttered, crossing his arms, a bit peeved the young hikari didn't seem to notice him. Yugi laughed nervously.  
  
"Hello Bakura. Ano, make yourself comfortable. Are you both sleeping over?" Ryou looked at his yami questionably.  
  
"Hai. We're sleeping over." Bakura said, then turned to face outside. "Those two better show up here soon.." He mumbled. Yugi blinked at him curiously. Ryou sighed.  
  
"Malik and Marik-sama were going to stay too, is that okay?"  
  
"Of course it's okay!" Yugi smiled brightly.  
  
"No it's not." The three turned around to face Honda standing in the doorway to the living room, a frown on his face. "I don't want those two psychopathic idiots over here."  
  
"Honda!" Yugi frowned, aghast at his friend's words. Ryou's face fell and he looked away from Honda, staring at the wall instead. He could feel Bakura tense behind him, and began to worry about his friend's safety.  
  
"If you don't want them over, then obviously you wouldn't want me over as well." Bakura growled, glaring heatedly at the brunette. Honda just stared right back.  
  
"That's exactly right. We don't want any more trouble from you three! So why don't you just get your ass out of here?" Before Honda new what hit him, Bakura had him pinned up against the wall, snarling.  
  
"Don't you ever speak to me like that again." He bristled. "Do you understand?!"  
  
"Bakura-sama!" Ryou pleaded desperately. He was too afraid to go over and stop his dark from hurting Honda, and bit his lip with worry. At the commotion, Yami and the rest of the gang ran into the room. Yami's face darkened when he saw what Bakura was doing, and immediately stomped over to him, wrenching him off of Honda and throwing him to the ground. He was about to continue to beat the hell out of the other dark when Yugi suddenly ran up to him.  
  
"Stop it! It wasn't Bakura's fault!"  
  
"Aibou?" Yami asked quizzically, lowering his fist. Ryou cried out and ran to his yami, helping him up to his feet, and clenching to him tightly.  
  
"I think we should leave." Ryou said, his lip quivering as he looked at Honda and Yami.  
  
"Iie." Bakura said, glowering at Honda. "We're staying. I'm not going to let a lowly mortal like that upset me."  
  
"What happened exactly?" Yami Yugi demanded, staring at his light sternly. Yugi sighed and explained what happened. When he was done, Yami turned to Honda. "That was unacceptable Honda."  
  
"Nan desu ka? You actually want the insane bastard here?!" Bakura snarled again and Ryou tightened his hold on him.  
  
"Honda," Yami said, "If you can't get along with him, then you'll have to leave." Honda gawked at him, then scowled, nodding his head, muttering that he would try. Yami turned to face the two white haired pair, and smiled warmly.  
  
"It's nice to see you Ryou, Tomb Robber." He nodded his head towards them welcomingly. "We were just settling down to watch a movie, make yourselves comfortable." Bakura nodded his head and went to follow them to the living room when Ryou tugged on his sleeve.  
  
"Malik and Marik-sama still aren't here." Ryou bit his lip, worry shining brightly in his eyes. Bakura cursed loudly, catching the attention of Yami.  
  
"I'd appreciate it if you kept your swearing to yourself, especially around my aibou." Yami frowned. "What's the problem?"  
  
"If Marik did what I think he's done, he's going to be in so much pain when I get home." Bakura growled, shaking angrily. Ryou peered up at him, tugging once again at his sleeve.  
  
"Bakura-sama?"  
  
"Give me your phone Pharaoh."  
  
***  
  
Marik jumped awake when he heard the phone ring, in turn startling Malik who woke up as well. Malik groaned and reached across to the portable phone that sat on the coffee table.  
  
"Moshi moshi." He murmured sleepily, trying his hardest not to yawn. He yelped when someone shouted over the other line, rapid curses following afterwards. Malik pulled the phone away from his ear and handed it to Marik, his face pale and his hands shaking. Marik scowled and listened to the shouting that was undoubtedly Bakura. Shaking his head in annoyance, he hung up, throwing the phone on the floor and pulling Malik back down to rest on him. "Marik..." Malik started.  
  
"Daijoubu," Marik yawned. "He'll cool down eventually."  
  
***  
  
"The asshole hung up on me!" Bakura raged, slamming the phone down. "He's dead when I get my hands on him!"  
  
"Bakura-sama, please don't be upset." Ryou pleaded, standing next to his yami in Yugi's kitchen. "I'm actually glad they went home, they really didn't want to come after all."  
  
"That isn't the point." Bakura said, his voice softening as he wrapped an arm around Ryou. "Let's go watch that movie." They walked back into the living room, gaining everyone's attention because Bakura's arm was still around Ryou's waist. He sat down on one of the cushion chairs and pulled Ryou down to it on his lap.  
  
"What kind of movie are we watching?" Ryou asked; seemingly unaware of all the stares directed towards him and his yami. Jou blinked oddly, then gave a classic crooked smile.  
  
"We're watchin' a horror movie." He said, grinning. Ryou groaned and slapped a hand on his forehead.  
  
"Not another one.." He muttered, while Bakura snickered behind him.  
  
"What's it called?" He asked. He had been itching to see another gruesome horror movie ever since watching Resident Evil a few days back.  
  
"Urban Legends." Yugi answered, popping the movie in and sitting back on Yami's lap. "I've heard it's super scary."  
  
Ryou whined and snuggled further into his dark's embrace. Bakura smirked when they received more stares, and leaned over to kiss Ryou's cheek, who blushed at the attention. He then turned to the screen as the movie began to play, not being able to hide the sadistic grin that appeared on his face.  
  
***  
  
At the end of the movie, the two hikaris in the room were snuggled deep into their respective dark's arms, shaking considerably with eyes open wide. Joey had latched on to Seto's arm in the middle of the movie, refusing to let go, and Honda and Otogi were hugging the life out of each other. Mai and Anzu had both fallen asleep after the first fifteen minutes, and remained that way throughout the entire movie.  
  
"I-I'm going to h-have nightmares f-for the rest of m-my life!" Yugi whimpered.  
  
"Me t-too." Ryou agreed, trembling in Bakura's arms. His yami currently wore a satisfied smirk on his face from enjoying the movie, and was now petting Ryou's head gently.  
  
"It was just a movie aibou." Yami said, trying to comfort Yugi.  
  
"It was still scary!" He practically squeaked out, burying his face in the crook of Yami's neck.  
  
"Bakura-sama?" Ryou asked quietly, tilting his head to look up at his dark. "Can we call Malik and Marik-sama?" Bakura blinked.  
  
"They're probably sleeping." He said, looking at the clock. "Why do you want to call them?" Ryou blushed, avoiding his yami's eyes.  
  
"Just to make sure they're safe." Bakura smiled in understanding, and nodded.  
  
"Hey Pharaoh! We're going to borrow your phone again."  
  
"Just use my cell." Mai yawned, just waking up. She tossed her phone to Bakura who immediately dialed their home number.  
  
"Moshi moshi?" A sleepy voice answered.  
  
"Marik? It's Bakura."  
  
"What do you want, it's four in the morning!" Marik grumbled on the other line.  
  
"I wouldn't talk to me like that, if I were you." Bakura warned. "Ryou wanted to check up on you, though I don't know why, since you dumped us coming over here."  
  
"Bakura-."  
  
"Save it." Bakura snapped. "Ryou wants to talk to you now." Bakura handed the phone to his hikari who smiled in thanks.  
  
"Marik-sama?" Ryou asked timidly.  
  
"Hai Ryou. Listen, Malik and I are really sorry-."  
  
"Iie. Daijoubu!" Ryou laughed lightly. "Don't worry about it. Is Malik- kun okay?"  
  
"Hai, he's sleeping now."  
  
"Okay," Ryou smiled. "I love you. Will you tell that to Malik too? When he wakes up?"  
  
Once Ryou said that, he gained the attention of almost everyone in the room. Honda was gawking open-mouthed at the two, shock clearly written on his face. When Bakura saw this, he just smirked and gave him the middle finger without his light knowing, before he continued to eavesdrop on the conversation.  
  
"Of course I will." Marik smiled on the other end. "Aishiteru. Tell Bakura I love him too, alright?"  
  
"Hai! Ja ne Marik-sama! Oyasumi nasai!"  
  
"Oyasumi Ryou-chan." Ryou hung up the phone and turned to his yami.  
  
"Marik-sama said-mmph!" Bakura cut him off with a chaste kiss, pulling back and gently brushing a stray strand of hair out of Ryou's eyes.  
  
"I heard." Ryou blushed at the kiss, and then snuggled into his dark's comforting embrace, yawning lightly. Hearing a cough, he blinked, and looked at his friends, just then noticing their stares. His face once again flushed darkly.  
  
"Ryou, tell me you aren't together with those freaks." Honda said disgustedly, staring at Ryou with distaste. Ryou flinched at the harsh words, and felt his yami tense up once again with anger. But just before Bakura could say anything, Yami interrupted, surprising everyone in the room.  
  
"Honda, get out."  
  
"What?" Honda said disbelievingly. "Are you serious?"  
  
"Yes. I am." Yami glared. "You have no right to speak so unkindly to Ryou. If he chooses to be with them, then so be it. It is his choice, not yours." Honda immediately looked guilty.  
  
"Gomen Ryou." He bowed his head shamefully.  
  
"I believe you owe the Tomb Robber an apology as well." Yami said sternly. He crossed his arms when Honda looked at him in disbelief. Honda grumbled, then turned to Bakura, mumbling a quick apology. The white- haired yami just snorted in response, not immediately forgiving his light's so called friend. An uncomfortable silence then fell across the room.  
  
"Can I have my cell phone back?" Mai asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"Oh, yes of course." Ryou mumbled embarrassedly, tossing the cell back to Mai. Everyone was startled when they suddenly heard a shrill ring. Mai blinked, and looked next to her, seeing Yugi's phone, she picked it up, then answered.  
  
"Hello?" She looked at Bakura. "Yeah, he's here, hold on a minute." She tossed the phone back to the curious yami.  
  
"Who's this?" He growled rudely, receiving a disapproving look from Ryou.  
  
"..."  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Bakura?" A hesitant voice asked.  
  
"Malik?" Bakura blinked. "What is it? Is something wrong?"  
  
"Iie." He went quiet.  
  
"Malik?" Bakura frowned, beginning to grow a little worried. Next to him, Ryou was growing anxious as well, asking him what was wrong. Bakura heard a sniffle on the other line.  
  
"Are you mad at me Bakura?"  
  
"Mad at you? For what?"  
  
"Not coming with you and Ryou.."  
  
"No Malik, I'm not mad at you at all." Bakura comforted reassuringly.  
  
"Are you sure?" Malik whimpered. He sounded really upset.  
  
"I'm positive." Bakura promised. "Are you sure you're okay? Where's Marik?"  
  
"He's taking a shower. Bakura, I, I miss you, and Ryou." Bakura's eyes softened at the tone of Malik's voice. "And I, I feel really guilty about not coming."  
  
"We're only over at Yugi's house. We'll be back before you know it." Bakura soothed. "And you have no reason to feel guilty."  
  
"I know." Malik sniffled again. "I'm sorry I'm sounding so childish."  
  
"Daijoubu." Bakura thought for a moment. "Do you want us to come home?"  
  
"No, I don't want to do that to Ryou. I just," He paused. "I... Never mind." He finished lamely. Bakura was about to say something else when he heard another voice on the opposite side of the phone talking to Malik.  
  
"Hello?" A new voice came on.  
  
"Marik?" Bakura said, annoyed. "Where's Malik?"  
  
"He's right here. Listen, do you mind if we come over there?" Bakura glanced over to Honda, staring at him distrustfully.  
  
"I don't know.."  
  
"He really misses you Kura, and Ryou too." Bakura sighed.  
  
"Alright. I'll be waiting for you."  
  
"Great! See you Kura." Marik hung up. Bakura tossed the phone back to Mai, and then pulled Ryou close to him, leaning back against the cushion chair.  
  
"Marik and Malik are on their way here. Is that a problem?" Bakura looked at Yami and Yugi.  
  
"Iie! No problem at all!" Yugi chirped. Yami turned to look at Honda, silently warning him not to be offensive in any way. Honda gulped, then forced a smile at the Game King's glare.  
  
"I thought Malik didn't want to come?" Ryou asked innocently. He looked up at Bakura, curious.  
  
"He changed his mind." Bakura shrugged. "Anyhow, why doesn't everyone get to sleep? I'll wait for them to show up." Yugi suddenly let out a big yawn, smiling sheepishly when everyone looked at him.  
  
"I agree. Let's call it a night." He slipped into his already set out sleeping bag, everyone else following his example, and closed his eyes.  
  
"Bakura-sama?" Ryou whispered. "Can I stay up with you to wait for Malik and Marik-sama?" Bakura looked down at his hikari, and smiled.  
  
"You're exhausted Ryou-chan. I think you should get some sleep, okay?"  
  
"Demo..." Ryou frowned. Bakura leaned down and gave him a light peck on his cheek, and slipped out from underneath him. He grabbed some blankets that were sitting next to the chair, and pulled them up over his light.  
  
"Don't worry about it." He rolled his eyes, seeing the look on Ryou's face. "Okay, how about if I wake you up when they get here? Is that alright?"  
  
"Hai. Arigatou." Ryou smiled, snuggling into the warm covers. "Aishiteru."  
  
"I love you too Ryou-chan." Bakura murmured, standing up and walking quietly out of the room to the front door. He looked out the side window, patiently waiting for the two blonds to show up. He turned around abruptly when he heard footsteps behind him. "What do you want, Pharaoh?" Yami stopped next to the other dark, looking down the street that Bakura was just looking at.  
  
"So," He started, "You, and your hikari are together?"  
  
"Yes." Bakura nodded.  
  
"And with Marik and Malik?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"I must admit, I didn't see that coming." Yami admitted. "You being his abuser and such." Next to him, Bakura stiffened.  
  
"I don't hurt him anymore Pharaoh!" He snapped harshly, trying to keep his voice low so as not to wake the others in the other room. He looked back out the window. "And I regret ever having done in the first place."  
  
"I understand." Yami nodded. "And what of Marik and Malik? Did he realize his errors as well?"  
  
"Yes, he has." Bakura once again barked back. They were silent for a while.  
  
"What made you change? If I may ask." Yami questioned. Bakura remained silent, choosing not to answer at the moment. The two were startled out of their conversation when they heard the roaring of a motorcycle pull into the front driveway. Bakura opened the door and walked composedly outside, Yami following behind him.  
  
The two riders jumped off the bike, one wearing a helmet, the other without one. The figure wearing the protective headpiece, took it off, revealing his light blond hair and lavender colored eyes. Upon seeing Bakura, he raced over to him, jumping into the other's arms gleefully. Bakura smiled and swung Malik around before hugging him tightly.  
  
"Bakura, I'm sorry that I didn't come with you and Ryou." Malik apologized, looking at the ground with a shameful look on his face. Bakura kissed Malik's forehead lovingly.  
  
"No need to apologize koibito, I'm not angry." He said. Malik blushed, and then smiled brightly.  
  
"I'll take him to where the others are sleeping." Yami spoke up, startling Malik who looked over at him nervously. Yami raised an eyebrow at him. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Iie Yami-san. Nothing is wrong." Malik lowered his head and slipped out of Bakura's arms. All three yamis blinked at Malik, never knowing him to sound so compliant. Marik sighed fretfully, knowing why his light was acting that way.  
  
"Very well then, come on." Yami beckoned Malik to follow him as he entered the house.  
  
"Pharaoh, do me a favor and wake Ryou up." Bakura called after him. "I promised him I would as soon as they arrived." Yami nodded his head at him before disappearing behind the door. Bakura sighed, and went to follow after him, when a hand clamped itself on his shoulder.  
  
"Bakura-."  
  
"You're not forgiven just yet Marik Ishtar." Bakura growled, ripping his shoulder away from the other dark roughly before heading back into the house. He was stopped once again, when Marik wrapped his arms around Bakura, pinning him in place.  
  
"Bakura, just listen to me."  
  
"You let me go this instant Marik." Bakura threatened, struggling to worm his way out of Marik's grasp. "Marik!"  
  
"Bakura, I'm sorry I didn't follow you like you said." Marik apologized, leaning his head on Bakura's shoulder. "But Malik was really uncomfortable about coming, he almost cried." Bakura stopped his movements, staring at the ground intensely. "He felt really guilty about it though, after you called. He was frightened too." Bakura lifted his head up sharply.  
  
"Why was he frightened?" He asked. Marik snorted.  
  
"Who wouldn't be after you yelled and cursed at him?"  
  
"He answered the phone?" Bakura paled. "I thought it was you!"  
  
"Iie, it was him. And you scared him. And then he began feeling really ashamed for not going with you and Ryou." Bakura remained silent, remorseful that he had scared the young light. "I talked him into coming here."  
  
"I didn't mean to scare him." Bakura went limp in Marik's arms. "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay Kura." Marik assured, burying his face in Bakura's hair. "He still just feels apprehensive around everyone."  
  
"And with good reason." Bakura snarled. "I don't think the one called Honda has forgiven him yet."  
  
"If he says anything cruel to my hikari..." Marik growled threateningly, then he blinked, and looked down at the thief in his arms. "Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?" Bakura looked up at Marik then shook his head, grinning.  
  
"No, I'm not upset with you anymore."  
  
"Good." Marik smirked, and pulled Bakura up into a passionate kiss, forcing his tongue past Bakura's lips and into his mouth. Bakura kissed back just as hard, battling against Marik for dominance, but failed miserably from having been caught off guard. Marik pulled back, licking his lips and grinning at Bakura's flushed face.  
  
"What was that for?" Bakura panted, resting his head on Marik's chest.  
  
"For you being so beautiful." Marik answered, smiling. He looked through the Game Store's window, and then let out a small laugh.  
  
"Nani?" Bakura grumbled, pulling himself out of Marik's embrace.  
  
"It seems as if we are being watched." Marik snickered.  
  
"Really?" Bakura smirked back, looking at the window. Sure enough, Ryou and Malik stood there, Yami standing behind him, all three staring out at them curiously.  
  
"Let's get some shut eye, ne?" Marik suggested, stretching and walking up the driveway to the front door of the house. Bakura followed behind him, and the two entered the house, meeting up with their hikaris and Yami Yugi. They all traveled to the living room, ready to get some sleep.  
  
Yami slipped into the sleeping bag with Yugi, who curled up at his side contentedly, purring quietly. Ryou and Malik snuggled together on the chair Bakura and Ryou had sat on earlier, and Marik and Bakura took the floor in front of the chair, resting against one another comfortably.  
  
"Oyasumi." Ryou mumbled. "Aishiteru." There were echoes of the same words, before the four fell into a fitful sleep.  
  
***  
  
Chibi B: And that's it! Sorry it wasn't longer..But I sort of have a block on this fic.. PLEASE help me form a plot or something...^^;  
  
Taski: You suck.  
  
Chibi B: -_- I know. Okay, I promise I'll try to get my next chapters up sooner. Thanks!  
  
R&R IT MOTIVATES ME TO MOOOOVE! (and write) 


	6. Chapter 6

Chibi B: Hello! Sorry this took me so long. ________ But I've had such a bad block on this!  
  
Taski: You still do...  
  
Chibi B: I know, and since Tales of Crimson Nights was deleted, I've been in no mood to write...^^; For all of those who are concerned about that, don't worry. I'll be reposting without the lemons (They'll be on mediaminer) And I'll be putting up a chapter a day until I get to chapter 6.  
  
Taski: Or every other day, depends on how much you get grounded.  
  
Chibi B: True. ^^;;; Um, apologies about this chapter, and a warning, it sucks, REALLY bad. -_-; I forced myself to write it, I have absolutely NO inspiration, it sorta, like, died...  
  
Taski: How sad. XP Not!  
  
Chibi B: So, hopefully, reviewers could give me help? It'd me much much much MUCH appreciated...  
  
Thank you all reviewers! Without you, I would have forgotten this, but since so many people like it, I've decided to continue! Thanks again!!!  
  
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, or any movies I've mentioned in this fic...  
  
Warning: It's not a very good chapter...-_-; Extremely pointless and it sucks...  
  
***  
  
"Ryou, wake up."  
  
Ryou grumbled, rolling over on his side.  
  
"Ryou!"  
  
"N-Nani?" Ryou yelled, sitting strait up and looking around himself wildly. He blinked when a set of lavender eyes peered at him curiously.  
  
"Daijoubu ka?" Malik asked, kneeling in front of a flustered looking Ryou.  
  
"H-Hai." Ryou breathed. He looked around himself, noticing almost everyone was still sleeping, but when he glanced behind him and noticed Marik and Bakura were no longer seated on the chair. He blinked at Malik curiously. "Where's Bakura-sama and Marik-sama?" Malik looked at him and shrugged.  
  
"I don't know. That's why I woke you up." He fiddled with his thumbs hesitantly, "Do you think we should look for them?"  
  
"I guess so." Ryou said, frowning. He stood up and stretched, yawning. Since Bakura brought him there by surprise, he didn't have any pajamas to wear, so he had slept in his clothes. Malik slept in his clothes as well instead of sleeping in his boxers like he usually did.  
  
"Where do you think they went?" Malik asked. Ryou paused, thinking.  
  
"Maybe the kitchen?" He suggested, shrugging his shoulders and walking into the mentioned room. "Hm. I guess not." He frowned when he discovered the room was empty.  
  
"Why don't you check your link?" Malik asked, helping himself to a glass of water and gulping it down thirstily. "Maybe they went home?" Ryou pouted suddenly.  
  
"I hope they didn't." He sighed. "Let me see if he's here."  
  
\Bakura-sama?\ Ryou whispered through their link, somewhat hesitantly. He didn't know whether or not his yami wanted to be bothered at the moment.  
  
\\OH RA! MARIIIIK! Haaarder! Unnnnggh! Oh gods, yes! YES, YES, YES! AaaahhhhHHH!\\  
  
Ryou shut off the link abruptly, his face a heavy scarlet color and his eyes wide open in shock. Malik looked at him concernedly.  
  
"Ryou-chan? Did you find them?" Ryou glanced over to Malik, and licked his dry lips before answering.  
  
"H-Hai. They're, um...busy right now." Ryou stuttered, face coloring once again in embarrassment. Malik's eyes widened in realization once he caught on to what Ryou meant.  
  
"Oooh. I see." Malik gave him a small smile. "You want to go back and wait until the others wake up?"  
  
"Sure." Ryou nodded happily, and leaned over to place a kiss on Malik's cheek. He was surprised however, when Malik wrapped his arms around Ryou's waist, pulling the younger boy against him and resting his head on the other's shoulder. "M-Malik?"  
  
"I love you Ryou-chan." Ryou's eyes softened considerably, and he hugged his lover against him tightly.  
  
"I love you too Malik-kun."  
  
The tender moment was ruined unexpectedly however, when the two heard a disgusted snort by the doorway. Ryou and Malik looked over to see Honda leaning against the frame staring at the two in revulsion.  
  
"I still can't believe you can stand him, Ryou!" Honda sneered, glowering fiercely at the blond Egyptian who still had his arms wrapped around his koibito. Malik flinched and let go of Ryou, staring at his feet.  
  
"Honda!" Ryou yelled softly, appalled at his friend's attitude. "I love Malik, okay? You have no right to insult him!"  
  
"Hmph. He's a selfish bastard." Honda scoffed, lips curling in hatred. "He'll just use you and then dump you." At hearing that, Malik's head shot up and he glared at Honda.  
  
"I would never do that to Ryou! I love him too much to even consider hurting him like that! How dare you-!"  
  
"What's going on here?" A commanding voice demanded. All three heads turned to see Yami staring at them sleepily. "Do you think you could keep your voices down? The other's are still trying to sleep you know." He looked at everyone suspiciously. "Is everything alright?"  
  
"Gomen, Yami." Honda smiled, and then turned towards Malik and Ryou, his back facing the former pharaoh. "Yes, everything is fine. We were just having a nice conversation, weren't we?" He stared at the two threateningly, daring them to tell Yami Yugi what Honda was saying earlier.  
  
"H-Hai, Yami-san." Malik said, trying to ignore Honda's scathing look. "Nothing's wrong."  
  
"Sure." Yami said disbelievingly, raising an eyebrow in doubt. His head turned when he heard footsteps, and sighed when Marik and Bakura sauntered into the room. Upon seeing his and Malik's yami, Ryou blushed, remembering what the two must have been doing for Bakura to scream like that.  
  
"Ohayo, hikari." Bakura smirked, striding over to kiss Ryou's forehead lovingly, making Ryou blush more. He leaned down to whisper in Ryou's ear. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, I couldn't keep the link closed." Ryou smiled up at him.  
  
"It's okay."  
  
"Okay, what happened?" Marik demanded suddenly, causing everyone's attention to turn on him.  
  
"What do you mean?" Yami asked, staring at Marik oddly.  
  
"Who hurt Malik?" Bakura's eyes flashed, and he stared at the blond hikari, running his eyes up and down the youth's body.  
  
"Marik! I'm fine!" Malik protested, tugging at his dark's sleeve pleadingly.  
  
"I don't see any wounds..." Bakura muttered.  
  
"They're not physical." Marik snarled, directing his gaze towards Honda. "Do you happen to know why he's upset?"  
  
"Marik! Please, I'm okay!" Marik turned to his lighter half, eyes blazing.  
  
"You are not okay! I can sense it!" He shouted, causing Malik to flinch and shrink back at his yami's tone. Marik immediately felt guilty, and reached over to pull Malik against him.  
  
"What did you say to him?" Bakura ordered, staring hatefully at Honda who was trying hard to sneak out of the kitchen unnoticed.  
  
"I didn't say anything." He muttered.  
  
"You liar!" Bakura shouted, ready to pounce on Honda and pummel him, but a soft voice prevented him from doing so.  
  
"Bakura-sama?" Ryou placed his hand on Bakura's gently. "Let's just forget about it. Okay?" He looked up at him with big pleading eyes, silently begging his other to just drop the discussion. Bakura sighed.  
  
"Fine." He kissed Ryou's cheek gently, then glared at the spiky haired teen at the doorway. "You got off this time." He snarled. "But next time won't be as promising." Honda gulped, then nodded, speeding out of the room.  
  
"Is everyone done?" Yami asked, surprising the four lovers. They had forgotten Yami was even there. Bakura scowled.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so, Pharaoh." Yami looked between Bakura and Marik curiously.  
  
"What exactly were you two doing upstairs?" Bakura and Marik both smirked, giving each other knowing looks.  
  
"Well, look at the time!" Marik suddenly shouted, staring at an imaginary watch on his left wrist. "I believe we must be leaving now! Ja ne Pharaoh!" Marik waved before grabbing Malik and dragging him out of the house.  
  
"Yeah, see ya!" Bakura cackled, also dragging Ryou out as well.  
  
"N-Nani?" Ryou sputtered, before looking at Yami apologetically. "Thanks for everything Yami! Goodbye!"  
  
"Bye Ryou!" Yami called after them, smiling to himself amusedly. Shaking his head, he climbed the stairs to make sure nothing was stolen. He walked into his room, carefully inspecting all his items. Seeing that the bed was slightly ruffled, he frowned and pulled back the covers, eyes widening to an almost comical extent before a shout was heard throughout Domino City.  
  
***  
  
"Did you hear something?" Ryou asked innocently, staring at the house behind him worriedly.  
  
"It's nothing Ryou. Probably just the baka pharaoh finding his surprise." Marik snickered quietly. He turned to Malik, eyeing him critically while the younger teen just stood there quietly.  
  
"Malik, don't worry about anything that asshole says, okay?" Bakura said, giving Malik an encouraging smile. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."  
  
"I know." Malik said, giving Bakura and his yami a small smile. "I'm fine."  
  
"If you say so, hikari." Marik sighed, and wrapped an arm around his light's shoulders. "Let's just go home, okay?"  
  
"Hai." Ryou mumbled, yawning. "Can we take a nap?" Bakura chuckled, and nodded his head.  
  
"Of course, you're not the only one who's exhausted." Bakura semi-glared at Marik who smirked proudly at himself. The blond yami leaned over to Malik, whispering loudly into his ear.  
  
"I think I may have been a little too much for him..."  
  
"Marik!" Bakura shrieked, hitting the other on the head. "Urusai! You're not too much for me! Whenever you want to go, you just let me know!" Marik smirked seductively.  
  
"I'll make you regret those words, Kura-chan."  
  
"Don't call me that."  
  
"Kura-chan!" Marik stuck his tongue out at Bakura and bolted towards his motorcycle, dragging Malik behind him.  
  
"Marik!" Bakura shrieked, starting to chase after him but winced at the pain in his lower areas. He growled. "I'll get you for that Ishtar!"  
  
"Nyaaaah!" Marik blew Bakura a raspberry before speeding off towards Ryou's home, Malik clutching onto his back tightly. Bakura cursed softly, and glared at the retreating bike, folding his arms in a sulking manner. Next to him, Ryou giggled quietly, making Bakura turn to him and raise an eyebrow.  
  
"You think that's funny, ne?" Bakura's mouth twitched into a slight smile.  
  
"U-Umm..." Ryou stuttered, coughing embarrassedly.  
  
"You do, don't you?" Bakura accused, breaking out into a full grin as he pounced on his hikari and started to tickle him mercilessly.  
  
"Ahhh! Bakura-sama! Stop!" Ryou squealed, laughing delightedly and squirming around in his yami's arms as they both fell on the ground, Bakura straddling Ryou's stomach.  
  
"Not until you say my name without the 'sama' at the end!" Bakura said, pushing his efforts on the very sensitive teen's body. Ryou laughed until tears streamed down his face, trying to wiggle his way out of Bakura's grasp.  
  
"Okay, okay! I give! Bakura! Stop!" Ryou let out a deep sigh and chuckled as his yami ceased his attack. His cheeks flushed as he stared into Bakura's eyes, suddenly very nervous about how the other would react.  
  
"Say it again." Bakura breathed, running his hands through Ryou's soft, silvery hair, enjoying being this close to his lighter half.  
  
"Bakura." Ryou whispered, hesitating for only a second before he lightly kissed Bakura's lips, pulling back almost immediately and looking the other way. Bakura chuckled and carefully turned Ryou's face until their eyes met.  
  
"Aishiteru." Bakura mumbled before pressing his lips to the younger teen's, plundering his mouth with reckless abandon. He pulled back, and stared down at his panting aibou, tears coming to his eyes. "I don't deserve you, not after all I've done..." He paused when Ryou placed a finger on his lips, silencing him.  
  
"Let's not think about the past anymore, yami. Let's start over." Bakura smiled through his tears and kissed Ryou chastely once again.  
  
"Agreed. Now come on, let's go before Marik eats everything in the fridge." Bakura stood up and held his hand out to Ryou who thankfully accepted and grasped it tightly before being pulled up. They both climbed on to Bakura's motorcycle, Ryou donning his helmet first, and sped off after their two blond lovers.  
  
When they arrived at Ryou's house, they were perplexed to see both Marik and Malik waiting outside, Marik wearing an angry expression on his face and Malik trying to calm him down.  
  
"Why aren't you two inside?" Bakura demanded, standing in front of Marik with his hands on his hips. "Couldn't pick the lock or something?" Marik shot Bakura a glare before shaking his head.  
  
"Iie, Ryou's dad is home." At hearing this, Ryou's face broke out into a huge smile and he practically jumped up and down in excitement. Marik just scowled. "Demo, when we told him we were friends of Ryou's, he said 'My son doesn't hang out with sluts.' And he slammed the door on us." Ryou froze in his tracks, mouth dropping open in shock.  
  
"Oh my..." Ryou blushed, ashamed of his father's actions. "I'm terribly sorry about that Marik...I'll talk to him-.." Marik's head snapped up.  
  
"What'd you call me?" Marik interrupted, his eyes growing wide. Ryou flushed once again and stared at his feet, shifting nervously.  
  
"Marik..."  
  
"Sugoi!" Marik shouted, standing up and pulling Ryou into a deep kiss, startling the anxious light. "You said it without the 'sama' at the end!"  
  
"H-Hai..." Ryou said, dazed from the kiss.  
  
"Say it again!" Ryou looked hesitant before mumbling his lover's name again. Marik squealed excitedly and pulled the light into another passionate kiss.  
  
"Ano, shouldn't we go inside now?" Malik asked quietly, standing next to a snickering Bakura.  
  
"Aa, let's go." Bakura stepped up on the porch and rang the doorbell, waiting impatiently for an answer. Within a few seconds he heard footsteps, and then the door was unlocked to reveal Ryou's father.  
  
"Ryou!" He grinned, pulling who he thought was his son into a bear hug. "I missed you, son!"  
  
"I'm not Ryou!" Bakura growled against the man's chest, trying to pull out of the other's embrace.  
  
"What are you talking about? Of course you're Ryou!" He said, pulling Bakura back to study him confusedly.  
  
"Iie. I'm not your son." He smirked widely and pointed next to him where Marik and his light were making out against the side of the house. "That's your son."  
  
***  
  
Chibi B: Do you have any idea how distracting it is to try to type this while Spongebob is on the t.v. behind me?  
  
Taski: Extremely distracting?  
  
Chibi B: -_-. Yes, up there, I accidentally typed, "That's your spongebob." Like, three times...  
  
Taski: Ha ha. XP  
  
Chibi B: *sigh* Okay, sorry for interrupting, I'll get back to the fic...  
  
***  
  
Mr. Bakura's mouth dropped as he stared at his son kissing another man. He was in total and utter shock at what he was seeing, refusing to believe that his son was currently engaging in this sexual activity. Did he care if his son was making out with another boy? Well, he would admit it sort of shocked him, but that's not what he was mostly upset about.  
  
"Ryou Bakura! What do you think you're doing young man?" He shouted, snapping out of his shock. Ryou pulled back from Marik, blushing fiercely.  
  
"Ano, k-konnichiwa, Otousan." He squeaked, waving at his dad timidly.  
  
"Don't you 'hello, father' me!" He said sternly, glaring at his son. "You have a lot of explaining to do!" He marched into the house, commanding Ryou to follow him.  
  
"Y-Yes sir." Ryou bowed his head and entered his home, Marik, Malik, and Bakura trailing in behind him. They all crowded into the living room, Bakura and Malik sitting on one end of the sofa, Ryou and Marik sitting on the other, and Mr. Bakura sitting across from them on his recliner chair. The elder man folded his hands in his lap and stared at the four boys sternly.  
  
"Okay, I'm waiting for an explanation for all this." He stated, looking at his son. "What's been going on since I've been away? And why does that young man look so much like you?" He asked, looking at his son's look- alike.  
  
"A-Ano..." Ryou stuttered, unsure of how to clarify exactly what had taken place the past few years. He took a deep breath, and exhaled noisily before pointing to his yami. "That's Bakura, he's a 5000 year old spirit from the Millenium Ring, and the other half of my soul..."  
  
***  
  
"And that's the whole story..." Ryou concluded a few hours later, fiddling with his thumbs and peeking up at his father cautiously.  
  
Mr. Bakura's jaw had dropped once again in disbelief. Spirits? Shadow Magic? It was all too much for him, and he shook his head to clear his thoughts.  
  
"So, those two," He pointed at Bakura and Marik, "Are spirits from Ancient Egypt?" Ryou nodded his head.  
  
"Hai..."  
  
Mr. Bakura was silent for a moment, before he sprang up from his chair, pulling his son into a huge hug, laughing joyously.  
  
"Do you know what this will do for us, Ryou?" He shouted excitedly. "We'll be famous! And rich! We can have whatever we want, and we'll be so happy! Wait until I tell the committee...!" He stopped when Ryou wrenched out from his embrace, staring at him with undisguised horror. "Ryou? Is something wrong?"  
  
"They're, they're not objects to sell to a museum!" Ryou spat out, sickened at his father's suggestion. "They're people! Bakura is the other half of my soul, father! If he were gone, I'd, I'd just die!"  
  
"That's true!" Malik shouted, startling the elder man who looked over at him questioningly. The blond haired hikari had moved over to his respective yami and was currently holding onto him for dear life. "If you take Marik away from me, I would kill myself! I'd rather die than live without my other half!"  
  
"We'd parish as well." Bakura spoke up from his spot on the couch. "Marik and I cannot survive without our hikaris. We'd disappear."  
  
"You can't tell anyone about this, dad!" Ryou begged, grabbing onto his father's hand. "Promise me you won't tell another soul what we told you!" Mr. Bakura looked at his pleading son, and sighed.  
  
"I promise." He smiled, pulling Ryou into his arms. "If it makes you happy, I won't tell a word to anyone."  
  
"Arigatou." Ryou whispered, his eyes filled with unshed tears. "You don't know how much this means to us."  
  
"You still haven't explained everything to me just yet." Mr. Bakura frowned, pulling Ryou away from him and looking at him critically. "What's your relationship with these three?" He nodded his head towards Malik, Marik, and Bakura.  
  
"Ano, well, you see..." Ryou blushed, stammering as he fidgeted uncomfortably. "We're, ah, ummm..."  
  
"What he means to say is that we're together." Marik smirked, pulling Malik onto his lap, his hikari immediately curling up in his arms.  
  
"I thought so." Mr. Bakura scowled. "How long have you been, together?"  
  
"A few days." Ryou mumbled, staring at his feet. Mr. Bakura nodded his head thoughtfully.  
  
"You haven't had sex yet, have you?"  
  
"Iie..." Ryou squeaked, turning a bright red color.  
  
"Good." He turned to Bakura and Marik, staring at them seriously. "Do not even think about have sex with my son."  
  
"NANI?" Marik and Bakura both yelped, eyes wide in incredulity.  
  
"Never?" Marik whined.  
  
"Preferably." Mr. Bakura frowned. "But I was just thinking until he's eighteen. Ryou's too young for that now."  
  
"Dad..." Ryou hissed, flushed. "I can make my own decisions for myself."  
  
"Not while you're under my house." Mr. Bakura snapped. "I don't care if you cuddle, kiss, or hug each other. But there will be absolutely no sexual activities in my house. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
"Hai." Ryou murmured, completely mortified by his father's behavior.  
  
"Crystal." Bakura scowled, crossing his arms in a sulking manner.  
  
"I don't want Ryou losing his virginity until he knows for sure he's ready." Mr. Bakura sighed, and then left the room, missing the way his son's face fell.  
  
"Ryou..." Bakura mumbled, knowing what his light was thinking. "Gomen nasai..." Ryou shook his head, trying to put on a smile.  
  
"Iie, it was all in the past, ne? There's no need to remember it anymore."  
  
"Hai." Bakura forced a smile as well, and held his hikari in a tight embrace, planting light kisses on the boy's silvery hair. He paused when he heard a small squeak and looked behind him to see that Marik had pinned Malik underneath him on the couch and was kissing him all over his face.  
  
"I love you." Marik smiled, stopping his attack on the younger one's face. Malik's face broke into a charming smile, his lavender eyes shining brightly.  
  
"I love you too." He whispered, "Demo, can we take that nap now? I'm really tired..." He rubbed at his eyes sleepily, making Ryou smile.  
  
"Kawaii..." He cooed, knowing that it irritated Malik to no end. As expected, the other hikari pouted, sticking his tongue out at Ryou only to have Marik start sucking on it.  
  
"Mawik!" He shrieked, blushing hotly as his yami finally released his appendage. Marik smirked.  
  
"Don't stick your tongue out unless you're going to use it for a good cause." Bakura chuckled and swooped Ryou up into his arms, starting for the stairs.  
  
"Come on, we'll rest in my room. The bed is big enough for all of us." He headed upstairs, hearing Malik yelp behind him as Marik also swept the hikari in his arms. He gently set Ryou down on the silky sheets, and cuddled up to him, placing Ryou towards the middle. Marik walked in a few seconds later and placed Malik next to Ryou, sliding in behind his own hikari.  
  
"Night." Marik murmured, burying his head into Malik's hair.  
  
"Nngh." Was his only reply from Bakura since the two lights had already dozed off. Marik smiled, and drifted off into a light sleep himself.  
  
***  
  
"Ryou! Phone call!"  
  
Ryou mumbled in his sleep, curling up to Bakura's chest, the dark one's arms wrapped around him in a tight embrace.  
  
"Ryou!" Mr. Bakura opened the door to his son's yami's room, and raised an eyebrow at seeing all four boys squished together on the king size bed. His parental protectiveness kicked in however, when he saw Ryou enveloped in Bakura's arms. He walked over to the bed and shook his son, not really caring if he woke anyone else in the process.  
  
"Not now, Bakura-sama..." Ryou frowned, and buried his head under his yami's chin. Mr. Bakura raised his eyebrow at hearing the sama at the end of Bakura' s name, but let it slide by.  
  
"Ryou!" He whispered loudly, jumping back in surprise when Marik shot up on the other side of the bed. The yami scowled sleepily at Ryou's father, still upset at the comment he made earlier about him and Malik.  
  
"What do you want?" He snapped gruffly, carefully untangling himself from Malik's legs.  
  
"Yugi's on the phone for Ryou." Marik rolled his eyes in annoyance.  
  
"I'll take it."  
  
"You have no right to take Ryou's phone calls!" Mr. Bakura growled.  
  
"Just tell the shrimp he's sleeping and that I'll talk to him instead." Marik said, glaring at the man with distaste. "He'll understand."  
  
"No. I'll just wake Ryou up so he can talk to him himself." Marik snarled, and walked over to Mr. Bakura, grabbing onto the cuff of his shirt and pulling him close so their faces were inches apart.  
  
"Listen here, you domineering bastard. I am one of Ryou's lovers, whether you like it or not. I love your son, and he loves me. And it's because of his love for you that keeps me from disemboweling you and leaving your body dead in a ditch." Mr. Bakura gulped. "Now, Ryou won't mind that I'm taking one, simple phone call for him. Let him sleep for Ra's sake!" Marik pushed the elder Bakura away from him and grabbed the phone on Bakura's desk.  
  
"Hey, kid, Ryou's sleeping right now." He paused for a few seconds, listening to the voice on the other end. "Sure, I'll have him call you once he wakes up. Yeah, I promise. Ja ne." He hung up the phone. "See? That wasn't so bad was it?"  
  
"How dare you think that you can come into my house-?"  
  
"Your house?" Marik snorted, interrupting. "I think this is more Ryou's house than yours. I mean, he cleans it, he cares for it, and he lives in it. You're never here. So, actually, it's you who came into his house." Mr. Bakura fumed with anger before stomping out of the room. Marik sighed, and cuddled back into the bed, meaning to get some more sleep.  
  
"Marik?" A sleepy voice murmured, making Marik's eyes snap open. He looked next to him and saw Malik's lavender eyes blinking up at him sleepily.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"Why are you up?" Malik mumbled, rolling over to snuggle into his dark's arms. Marik smiled and pulled Malik against him, fitting them into a more comfortable position.  
  
"No reason." He whispered, kissing the top of Malik's head lovingly. "Go back to sleep."  
  
"Mm'kay..." Malik moaned, and closed his eyes, immediately falling back into slumber. Marik closed his eyes as well, but couldn't manage to get to sleep.  
  
"Damn it." He groaned, giving up hope on getting any more rest.  
  
"Marik?"  
  
"Hn?" Marik turned his head lazily, peering over to see who called his name this time. He smirked, seeing that it was Bakura.  
  
"What are you smirking at me for?" Bakura asked, blinking his eyes questioningly.  
  
"No reason." Marik shrugged, smirk still in place.  
  
"Why aren't you sleeping?"  
  
"Can't."  
  
"Awww, did Marikky-chan have a nightmare?"  
  
"Iie." Marik scowled. "Don't call me that..."  
  
"It's payback Marikky-chan." Bakura said in a singsong voice, grinning madly. "Now you know why I hate to be called Kura-chan." Marik rolled his eyes and gently got up out of bed. Bakura looked at him curiously. "Where you going?"  
  
"Downstairs." Marik stretched his hands in the air, revealing his tanned stomach and making Bakura drool at the sight. Marik once again smirked at him. "Like what you see?"  
  
"Most definitely." Bakura smirked back, slipping out of bed easily and wrapping his and Marik's hikari with a blanket. He threw Marik a sly look and stalked over to him, leaning down closely for a kiss...  
  
"I'm hungry, want a snack?" Marik stated suddenly, almost causing Bakura to fall face first on the bed.  
  
"Sure, I guess." Bakura rubbed the back of his head and followed Marik out into the hall. "So, what was the real reason you couldn't sleep?"  
  
"Ryou's father came in, and we sort of had a one on one conversation." Marik said innocently, a little too innocently for Bakura's liking.  
  
"You mean he came in, woke you up, and you got pissed and started arguing with him?" Bakura restated, leaning against Marik's shoulder as the two made their way down into the kitchen.  
  
"Hai." Marik chirped.  
  
"You shouldn't fight with him, Marik. Ryou loves him very much..."  
  
"I know, I know. Why do you think I haven't killed him yet? I'm still ticked off about that slut comment."  
  
"But you do look like a slut." Bakura said bluntly.  
  
"Bakura!"  
  
"You do..."  
  
"What about Malik? Does he look like a slut?"  
  
"Er, a little."  
  
WHACK!  
  
"Itai! What the hell was that for?" Bakura shouted, now rubbing his soar head.  
  
"What do you think? Baka." Marik snorted, now currently raiding the fridge for a snack.  
  
"Well, maybe if you didn't dress so, so..."  
  
"Sexy? Unbelievably hot? Drop dead gorgeous?" Marik looked over the door of the fridge at Bakura and winked at him before resuming his position in the fridge, wiggling his leather covered ass at Bakura, just to tease.  
  
"On second thought, don't stop dressing like that..." Bakura said, drool forming at the edge of his mouth as he openly stared at Marik's butt.  
  
"I thought you'd see it my way." Marik smirked, and backed out of the fridge. "There's nothing here."  
  
"Grab some of that cold stuff from the freezer." Bakura said, plopping down at the kitchen table. "Ryou always has some in there."  
  
Sure enough, Marik pulled out a tub of cookie dough ice cream. He placed the container on the table before grabbing two spoons by following Bakura's instructions to the cabinet.  
  
"I swear, your kitchen is so confusing." Marik mumbled, digging his spoon into the creamy treat and shoving it in his mouth. "There's like, hundreds of cupboards and cabinets."  
  
"Hn. Tell me about it. I still don't know where everything is." Bakura snorted, shoving a spoonful in his mouth as well. "Mmm...I love this stuff." Marik gave him a weird look. "Nani?"  
  
"It's just that, you'd never act like this before. So carefree." Marik mumbled, staring at his ice cream covered spoon intensely. "We've both changed a lot, huh?"  
  
"Hai. But it was worth it."  
  
"Yeah. Now I have three of the most beautiful people on earth as my lovers." Marik smirked. "I couldn't be happier."  
  
"Same feeling." Bakura smiled back, shoveling another glob of cookie dough ice cream in his mouth. Suddenly, both were interrupted out of the conversation when Mr. Bakura barged into the room. He glared at Marik angrily, Marik glaring just as hard back at him, before he plopped down at the kitchen table.  
  
"What are you two doing?"  
  
"Eating." Marik answered, lifting up his spoon. Mr. Bakura scowled.  
  
"Do you always mooch off of our food? It isn't yours for the taking, you know." He said, looking frustrated. Bakura lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"I've been living here longer than you have. Why can't I help myself to something to eat? Besides, Ryou and I are technically one person, so, if he can eat here, why can't I?"  
  
"Because, because..."  
  
"He just doesn't like us." Marik said smartly, talking around another mouthful of ice cream. "He thinks we're stealing his good natured son away from him, even though he's never really around here..." He muttered the last part to himself, but Mr. Bakura still overheard.  
  
"If he had to, you know Ryou would chose me over you anytime!" Mr. Bakura shouted furiously, his face flushed in anger.  
  
"Hn. And that's the sad part." Marik glowered. "He would chose you over us. You, the neglectful father who barely spends any time with him, who's never home, who tries to control his life. Yes, he'd choose you, because he loves you just as much as he loves us. But you're his only family left, and you don't even bother to care, which is what hurts him the most."  
  
Mr. Bakura sat there with a stunned look on his face, hands hanging limply in front of him as he stared off in space. Were they right? He knew he never spent much time with his son, but he never thought it would have hurt Ryou. He stood up slowly and silently walked out of the room, going off to think on what the two spirits had said.  
  
"You didn't have to be so harsh on him." Bakura frowned, staring at his lover disapprovingly. Marik shrugged.  
  
"It's the truth. He needed to hear it."  
  
"Still."  
  
"Nnn, Bakura-sama?" Both spirits turned to the doorway and were met with the sight of a very sleepy looking Ryou, rubbing his eyes at them blearily.  
  
"Don't tell me you're going to start calling me that again." Bakura said, his face falling in barely contained disappointment. Ryou shook his head and yawned, slowly making his way over to his yami before plopping down in his lap.  
  
"Gomen, Bakura." Ryou mumbled, nuzzling his head in Bakura's chest. Bakura's face broke into a soft smile, and he pulled the boy closer, resting his head on the soft locks of Ryou's hair.  
  
"Is Malik still sleeping?" Marik questioned, watching the two amusedly.  
  
"Hai." Ryou yawned once again. "I didn't have the heart to wake him up."  
  
"Let him sleep for a while longer." Marik said before straightening up in his seat, remembering that Yugi had called a while back. "The shrimp called you about a half an hour ago."  
  
"Oh, okay." Ryou squirmed on Bakura's lap, "Can you hand me the phone please?" Marik nodded his head and got up from his position on the chair, walking over to the counter to grab the telephone before making his way back to the table.  
  
"Here." Marik handed Ryou the phone, and leaned down to kiss his forehead sweetly. Ryou blushed and muttered a thank you before dialing Yugi's phone number.  
  
"Hi, Yugi?" Both Marik and Bakura tuned out of the conversation when another sleepy looking teen appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Well, well, well, look who's finally up." Bakura smirked, amused at the sight of Malik's tangled looking hair. Malik's lips formed a small pout.  
  
"I woke up and nobody was there..."  
  
"Gomen Malik-koi." Marik apologized softly, opening his arms as an invitation for Malik to sit on his lap. Malik accepted and fell into his yami's arms, smiling contently when the other began to pet his hair. Ryou finally set the phone back down at the table, curling back into Bakura's arms.  
  
"What did he want?" Bakura asked, rubbing Ryou's back soothingly, making Ryou purr lightly.  
  
"He wanted to know why we left so early." Ryou frowned suddenly. "And then he said that you and Marik were in trouble with Yami, something about a mess in his room?" Both darks began to snicker, muffling the sound in their hikaris' hair.  
  
"I don't want to know." Malik muttered, rolling his eyes.  
  
"So, what do you want to do today?" Bakura asked suddenly, causing everyone to look at him oddly. "What? Do you want to sit around the house?"  
  
"No, not really." Marik admitted. "How about the movies?"  
  
"Ano, I think I've seen enough movies the past few days." Ryou confessed, looking slightly nervous.  
  
"I agree. Let's think of something else." All four boys fell silent, each trying to come up with something to do.  
  
"I can't think of anything." Marik sighed, his fingers tangled in Malik's hair.  
  
"Neither can I." Ryou nuzzled against his dark's chest.  
  
"I guess we'll just lounge around all day then." Bakura snickered, but quieted when Malik timidly lifted his head from Marik's shoulder.  
  
"I have an idea..."  
  
***  
  
Chibi B: See? Told you it sucks!  
  
Taski: That's an understatement.  
  
Chibi B: . I know. Well, I need ideas for Malik's, er, idea. I have no idea what it's going to be... Oh! Also, I'm sorry for how short this is...But, as I've stated earlier, I have a huge block, so, this is as much as I could type. ^^;;;;  
  
PLEASE R&R (Even though this chapter sucked...) I need ideas!!!! 


	7. Chapter 7

Chibi B: Eh, hi! waves nervously Now, you're all probably expecting a SUPER long chapter since I haven't updated in like, forever, right?

::crickets::

Just what I thought! And, well, sorry to disappoint you, but this chapter was barely 4300 words…;; I have a major block, and well, I thought that I owe you at least this bit since it has been forever since I've updated. And I apologize for that! ::bows head shamefully:: I'm a sucky authoress! BUT! I got random inspiration a few days after I wrote this author's note, and now the fic is over 5000 words long! Still a few thousand short of my goal, but, it's a bit better…; Right? Right?! Well, it's almost 6000, so it counts! 

You're also probably wondering where the heck Taski is! Well, he lost his memory, and is absolutely no help to me when it comes to my fics, which makes it that much more harder to write..; Oh lucky days…

Anywho, I thank ALL of you reviewers who've been so patient with me! The next chapter after this will probably be the last…hopefully in my case! XD I used to be so proud of this fic! But then, it sort of got ruined a long the way…I blame stress! And, er, drumline! Yeah! I hate drumline… XP So, thanks again!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or the mall they're at!

Everyone thank Mike! Who hooked this stupid laptop of mine up to the internet at his house for me! You're my idol, dude!

* * *

"Really? What is it?" Ryou asked curiously.

"Well, we can, go to the mall..." Malik suggested, somewhat hesitantly. The three others stared at him blankly, and Malik began to grow nervous, and started fidgeting. "Or, we could do as Bakura said and just lounge-."

"I think that's a great idea!" Bakura chirped, his face breaking out into a huge grin. "The mall, it's perfect!"

"Yeah! We can get you two some new clothes." Marik smirked, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Bakura nodded his head eagerly.

"Is that okay, Ryou-chan?" Bakura asked, tilting his head and looking down at his hikari. Ryou smiled brightly.

"Of course it's okay! Great idea, Malik!" Ryou smiled, making Malik's cheeks light up in a light blush.

"So, when do we leave?" Bakura asked impatiently, practically bouncing in his seat, making Ryou giggle.

"I have to take a shower first." Ryou said, standing up off of Bakura's lap. "Then I have to change clothes."

"Me too." Malik murmured, once again burying his face in the crook of Marik's neck.

"Let's all take one together!" Marik shouted happily, squeezing his hikari to his chest.

"Take what together?" Mr. Bakura said, walking into the room. Ryou blushed hotly.

"N-Nothing." He coughed embarrassedly. Behind him, he could hear Marik trying to muffle his snickers into Malik's hair. Mr. Bakura scowled suspiciously, but decided not to dwell on it, walking over to the fridge to fix himself lunch.

"What are you doing today, Ryou?" He asked, pulling out supplies to make himself a sandwich.

"We're going to the mall." Ryou answered. "If that's okay with you."

"It's fine, just be careful." Mr. Bakura cautioned.

"Sure, Otousan. Arigatou." Ryou smiled, bouncing up the stairs to take a shower. The elder man turned to look at the other three boys, a frown on his face.

"We won't molest Ryou in public. Promise." Marik spat, eyeing the other with an annoyed expression. "We'll only do it if he wants us to."

"Marik!" Malik whined, blushing and sitting up to stare at his yami disapprovingly. He whispered so that only Marik could hear. "You shouldn't say things like that to Ryou's dad." Marik snorted, looking in the other direction.

"I assume you're going to be borrowing money from him too." Mr. Bakura sneered, shaking his head. "You're probably only using him for his money! You're taking advantage of my son because he's rich!" Malik flinched at the man's harsh words, shrinking back into Marik's arms.

"First of all, why would we need money? I'm the King of Thieves! Trust me, I could survive fine without it. Secondly, Malik is ten times richer than you, why would he need to borrow any money either?" Bakura asked, getting rather irritated at his light's father's accusations.

"Richer? Yeah, right." The older man scoffed. "Do you know how much I make?"

"Yes, I do. And Malik's family makes far more." Bakura stated smugly, crossing his arms. Malik groaned and snuggled deeper into Marik's embrace, trying to escape from the argument.

"His family owns the Egyptian museum down here." Marik smiled wickedly. "Perhaps you've heard of it? It's run by Isis Ishtar." The elder man's face grew pale. "And her younger brother, Malik Ishtar."

"That's impossible."

"That museum funds your research, doesn't it?" Bakura mused, tilting his head to the side. "I wonder what would happen if all of a sudden the funding, just, stopped."

"You wouldn't dare." Mr. Bakura said, narrowing his eyes at the three. "Then Ryou wouldn't have any money either."

"But we could provide him with so much more than you could." Marik smiled, staring levelly at Ryou's father.

"Marik, please." Malik whispered, tugging at his yami's shirt. "Don't upset him…"

"Fine." Mr. Bakura snorted. "If you think you could do better, then go ahead. I'm leaving."

"You're what?" Bakura snapped.

"I'm leaving." He repeated, and grabbed his keys. "I have to go back on a dig anyways."

"You're going? Just like that?" Malik sputtered, eyes wide. "What about Ryou?"

"Tell him I said goodbye." Mr. Bakura shrugged, then gave them an uncharacteristic smirk. "And that it's your fault I left."

"You can't just leave without saying goodbye to him!" Marik shouted, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Watch me." And with that, the older Bakura left. The three teens listened tensely as a car door slammed shut and was pulled out of the driveway.

"I can't believe he just left." Malik whispered. "Ryou's going to be heartbroken." Marik started cursing rapidly, his muscles tensing as he tried to control his anger. "What are we going to tell him?"

"That his stupid ass father left." Bakura snorted. He was the most upset by Ryou's father leaving than the other two. He knew just how sad Ryou was whenever his father had to leave on another excavation, but he'd be even more upset since the man didn't even bother to say goodbye.

"Malik! You can go take a shower now!" Ryou called, walking into the kitchen with his hair still wet. As soon as he stepped into the room, three pairs of eyes looked at the floor, and he blinked confusedly. "What's wrong?"

"Ryou…" Bakura took a deep breath, and sighed. "You're father, sort of, left."

"He what?!"

"He just, left. He told us to tell you goodbye for him." Malik said quietly, looking up at Ryou to see how upset the boy was. Surprisingly enough, Ryou looked fine, except for the frown he wore on his face.

"That was rather rude…" He muttered, before straightening up and smiling at Malik. "Oh well. Go ahead and take a shower Malik-kun! And then you can borrow a pair of my clothes."

"Ano, arigatou.." Malik mumbled confusedly, and stood up off of Marik's lap, heading upstairs to shower.

"You're not upset?" Marik questioned, as shocked as his light was that Ryou wasn't bursting into tears.

"Well, I'm a bit disappointed." Ryou admitted. "But, he's very busy, and has lots of work to do. So it's understandable he had to leave so soon." He smiled reassuringly at the two yamis before sitting down on a chair next to Marik. The blond yami reached over and fingered a lock of Ryou's hair.

"Are you going to leave it wet?" He asked, brushing the hair behind Ryou's hair, grinning when the boy blushed.

"Iie. I was going to dry it. I think I should go do that now…" Ryou said, standing up and walking up the stairs into his room. Marik let out a sigh of relief once Ryou was out of the room, and stared at Bakura.

"That was close. I thought for sure he would have been angry with us."

"I thought so too." Bakura confessed, leaning back into his chair. "So, what do we have planned for today?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are we doing once we get to the mall?" He restated, rolling his eyes.

"Oh!" Marik's face brightened. "We have to get them some new clothes!" Bakura smirked, nodding his head as he went through different possibilities.

"Agreed."

"We could, um, take them to a store they want to go to." Marik mumbled thoughtfully. Bakura rolled his eyes in exasperation. Marik, who caught the look, scowled. "What?"

"Well, it's sort of obvious we're going to take them to the places they want to go, that's the whole point of us taking them out." Bakura muttered, leaning back in his chair, his hands behind his head.

"That's true…"

"Baka…" Bakura mumbled, shaking his head. Marik frowned at him from across the table, before smirking, one of his legs sneaking out and pushing on the front of Bakura's chair. Bakura yelped, hands flinging out wildly as he tried to stop himself from falling.

CRASH! 

"Kuso!" Bakura groaned, his eyes clenched shut as he nursed the back of his head. "Damn you Marik!" The blond haired yami stuck his tongue out at him, grinning proudly.

"Who's the idiot now?" He chided, laughing.

"Is everything okay? I heard a loud noise…" Ryou exclaimed, rushing into the room. He blinked as he noticed his yami on the floor cursing loudly and Marik laughing hysterically while sitting in his chair. "Ano, did I miss something?"

"No, nothing at all!" Marik smiled innocently, standing up and offering a hand to Bakura, who was still sprawled out on the floor. The yami scowled up at him before grasping onto Marik's hand, giving the other a triumphant smirk before pulling him onto the floor on top of him. Marik grunted in surprise, and fell onto Bakura's stomach.

"Damnit, Marik, you're heavy." Bakura groaned, trying to push the other off of him. "Get off!" Marik smiled and fluttered his eyes at Bakura.

"Naaah, I think I'll just stay here for a while." He squirmed around on Bakura's chest, giving the other a sly look.

"Umm, I'm going to check on Malik now." Ryou muttered, somewhat flustered as he watched the two yamis. He turned around and was about to walk out of the room but ran straight into Malik instead. The two hikaris cried out in shock, each falling to the floor. "Malik! I'm so sorry, are you okay?" Ryou exclaimed, the first one to recover from his shock, opening his eyes to see if his fellow light was okay. His voice died in his throat however, when he got a good look at Malik.

It seemed that after he finished with his shower, Malik couldn't find any clothes, so he wrapped himself up in a towel and went downstairs to look for Ryou, accidentally bumping into to him on his way to the kitchen. In doing so, the grip on his towel loosened, and it fell to the floor.

"I'm okay…" Malik answered Ryou's earlier question, before glancing up at the other light, noticing the odd look he was receiving. "Ryou? Why are you looking at me like that?" He shifted nervously, suddenly aware of a cold draft in his lower areas. He looked down curiously, and squeaked when he realized his towel fell, snatching it up quickly.

Unfortunately, it was not quick enough…

"MINE!" Marik yelled out of nowhere, pouncing on Malik hungrily. The younger teen squeaked yet again as the towel was ripped out of his hands and thrown across the room. His squeak turned into a soft moan however, when his yami started covering his chest with kisses and licks.

Ryou blinked, his eyes wide open as he stared at the scene before carefully moving backwards. He gave a startled yelp when he tripped over Bakura's legs falling into waiting arms.

"Caught you." Bakura grinned, kissing his light's nose. Ryou blushed in his other half's arms, giggling softly.

"Ano…Should we stop him?" He asked quietly, pointing over to Marik who was now sucking on every inch of skin he could find on Malik's body.

"Hn. Probably." Bakura shrugged. "Malik needs time to get dressed." He looked around himself for something to distract Marik with, coming up with nothing. He sighed and reluctantly pushed Ryou off his lap, crawling on all fours over to Marik.

"Mmmm…" Marik moaned, nuzzling his face into his light's tan stomach, a huge smile on his face. Beneath him, Malik shifted uncomfortably, his entire face beet red. Suddenly, the weight was removed off of him, and Malik scrambled up, rushing out of the room and upstairs. Bakura watched him worriedly.

"Marik! Now look what you did!" Bakura shouted, restraining the bigger yami in his arms and watching as Malik bolted out of the kitchen. "You scared him!"

"I did?" Marik asked guiltily, biting his lip. He struggled out of Bakura's arms and stood up, glancing at the doorway nervously.

"You should know better than to do something like that!" Bakura continued yelling, throwing his hands up in the air exasperatingly. He was completely frustrated with the other dark right then, not seeing how upset Marik was. "Honestly!"

"I didn't mean to…" Marik whispered, lowering his head shamefully. Ryou, who was standing a few feet away from them, noticed Marik's distressed face and frowned.

"Bakura…" He mumbled quietly. Bakura's head snapped towards Ryou's, seeing the other nodding towards Marik. He blinked and glanced towards him, finally noticing the other's depressed look.

"Marik." He sighed. "It's okay, just go apologize to him for getting out of hand."

"But, I scared him!" Marik whimpered, making Bakura's eyes widen at the sound. He opened his mouth to try to reason with Marik when another voice interrupted him.

"Marik? Is something wrong?" Marik's head spun around to see Malik looking at him worriedly. The light was now fully dressed and walking over to his yami, placing a hand on his arm. "Daijoubu desu ka?"

"I should be asking you that." Marik muttered shamefully. "I didn't mean to frighten you, but, you looked so, so-"

"Sexy?" Bakura offered, receiving a glare in return.

"Yes, sexy." Marik said, making Malik blush.

"You didn't scare me." Malik admitted, avoiding eye contact with his other. "You just, surprised me. But, I, I liked it." Malik squeaked, his face turning brighter than it was before. Marik stood speechless, as did Bakura, who raised an eyebrow in surprise. He fully expected for Malik to shy away from Marik now, like Ryou did when he was sometimes too forward. But instead the hikari confessed to liking what Marik did, even though he ran away from it.

"Now that that's settled. What do you say we finally head out to the mall?" Ryou suggested quietly, making everyone jump at the soft tone of his voice.

"Hai. I think that's a great idea." Bakura grinned, stalking up to his hikari and kissing his forehead. "Off we go! This time, I'm going to drive Malik, and Marik's going to take Ryou. If that's okay with everyone." He added, wanting to make sure nobody was upset with the arrangement. The three nodded their heads, not having trouble with that idea at all, except for Ryou, who was still a bit nervous around the motorcycles.

"I'll drive carefully." Marik whispered to him on their way out. "I promise." Ryou blushed and nodded his head.

"I know, I trust you." He said softly, and gave Marik a bright smile. Marik's heart swelled at the words and he pulled the hikari to him and placed a warm kiss on his cheek.

"That means a lot to me Ryou-chan. Thank you." He smirked. Ryou smiled back and tilted his head to the side before running outside to catch up to Malik and his yami.

"Bye Ryou! Bye Marik! See you there!" Malik waved with one arm, his other wrapped around Bakura's waist as the yami started the engine to his bike.

"Wait! Ryou, come here." Bakura called out, and Ryou obeyed, ambling over to the motorcycle curiously. "Give us a kiss before we leave!" Bakura leant down and puckered his lips out to his giggling hikari. Ryou stood up on his tiptoes and brushed his lips with his yamis in a brief kiss, still smiling adorably. Then, he turned to Malik and did the same, the other light laughing softly as well.

"Hey! What about my goodbye kiss?" Marik whined, jogging up to the three. Bakura gave his trademark smirk and laughed evilly before stepping on the gas and speeding off down the street, Malik holding on to him from behind. Marik's jaw dropped in disbelief and he stared after the two hurtfully. Ryou blinked as he saw the look in Marik's eyes and leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek, trying to make him feel better. Marik turned to the other hikari and forced a small smile on his face.

"Daijoubu desu ka?" Ryou asked quietly, afraid to upset the other dark by asking questions. He couldn't conceal the concern in his eyes however, and Marik sighed.

"I'm fine, Ryou-chan." He assured. "It's just, sometimes, sometimes…" He shook his head, as if he couldn't say anymore and smiled sadly at Ryou. "Never mind, let's just go." He hopped onto his own bike and revved the engine, Ryou climbing on behind him, the worry still shining in his eyes. He put on the helmet, making it as tight as it could go before winding his arms around Marik. "Hold on." Marik whispered, and they sped down the street.

* * *

"What took you so long?" Bakura teased, leaning against the side of his bike with his arms folded. Malik was sitting down on the ground next to him, absently plucking the grass and throwing it away.

"Ha ha, funny Bakura." Marik rolled his eyes, a sour look on his face. "Let's just get going." Malik's head snapped up from staring at the grass and he eyed his yami worriedly. He could tell Marik was upset by the sound of his voice, and he was concerned that he might have done something wrong to upset the other.

"So, where to first?" Bakura asked, turning to Malik and Ryou, completely oblivious to Marik's mood. "Do you want to go shopping for clothes?" Both hikaris nodded their heads in agreement, and they headed out into the mall, Marik trailing noticeably behind.

"Can we stop there?" Malik asked excitedly, pointing to a nearby leather store. Bakura laughed at the other's expression and nodded his head.

"That okay for you, Ryou?"

"Hai!" Ryou piped up, smiling. He was about to follow the two inside, but then turned around towards Marik, seeing that he wasn't following them. "Are you coming with us?"

"Nah, I think I'll just wander around for a bit." Marik shook his head, hands in his pockets.

"Are you sure?" Ryou asked hesitantly, not really wanting to leave Marik behind.

"Yeah. It's okay Ryou-chan, you go have fun." He leaned down and kissed Ryou's forehead, smirking. "And get some hot clothes too!" He laughed as Ryou's face lit up in a blush before giggling softly.

"Okay. Be careful!" Ryou waved to Marik and hurried back into the store before Bakura and Malik could start worrying about him.

"Where's Marik?" Malik asked as soon as Ryou caught up with them, seeing that his dark wasn't there.

"He said he wanted to wander around a bit." Ryou frowned. "He seems sort of upset…"

"You noticed it too?" Malik asked, running his hands through his hair. "Bakura? Do you know why Marik's like this?" 

"He's upset?" Both hikaris sweat dropped, realizing that Bakura didn't even notice.

"Hai. He seemed really sad after you left with Malik." Ryou informed, making Bakura scowl.

"Well, he'll get over it."

"I don't know. I'm worried." Malik fidgeted anxiously, glancing to the door of the leather store.

"Want me to go talk to him?" Bakura sighed. Frankly, he thought Marik was just faking it to get some attention, and was annoyed that he was making the two lights worry.

"Could you?" Ryou asked, biting his lip nervously. Bakura sighed once again before nodding.

"Hai. Just, stay here and shop for a while. I'll go catch up to him." He waved to the two lights before making his way out of the store, looking around to see which direction Marik was. He was annoyed, however, to find out that Marik wandered off too far for him to tell, so he picked a random direction, and started walking that way.

Luckily for him, it seemed to be the right way to choose, since within a few minutes, he caught sight of Marik. He looked at the other's appearance oddly, noticing that the two hikaris seemed right; Marik did look a little depressed. He was shuffling around with his hands in his pockets, his head lowered to the ground, and a slight frown on his face.

"Marik! Wait up!" Bakura called, jogging up to the said yami, ignoring all the odd looks he received from shouting in the middle of the mall. "Something wrong?" 

"No, nothing's wrong, Bakura." Marik sighed, not looking up from the ground. "Did the hikaris send you or something?" Bakura scowled., wondering why the other didn't call him 'Kura' like he usually did.

"Well, they noticed you were upset, and so they were worried." 

"Hn. Nothing's wrong, so hurry up and get back to them. You shouldn't leave them in a store unsupervised, it's not safe." Marik grumbled, walking a bit faster.

"Well now I know something is wrong!" Bakura grabbed onto Marik's shoulder tightly stopping him in his tracks. "Now tell me why you're acting like this." Marik shrugged Bakura off roughly and started to once again walk away before Bakura stopped him another time.

"Bakura!" Marik growled warningly, glowering at the other dark menacingly.

"That won't work on me." Bakura snapped, and pulled Marik into a hug, which startled the older yami. "Please tell me what's wrong." He asked quietly, still holding Marik against his chest.

"Bakura…" Marik mumbled and went limp in the other's grasp. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's come over me. I just seem to be overreacting at a lot of things."

"It's okay." Bakura soothed, growing even more concerned when Marik's body started to quake. "Marik…"

"I love you, Kura." Marik murmured. "I love you so much that it hurts." Bakura smiled and squeezed the other tightly.

"I love you too, Marik." Suddenly, the yami stiffened, the smile dropping off his face. "Marik, something's wrong."

"Nani?" Marik gasped, pulling out of Bakura's embrace. "What do you mean?"

"Check with your hikari, I'm going to check on my own."

(Er, problem with the little sign thingies, so I'm going to try to use something else... : is for Ryou, :: is Bakura, I guess...)

::Ryou?::

:Bakura!: Ryou's voice came back through the link, sounding panicked. :Honda's here! And, and, Malik, I don't know where he is! He ran off!:

::What did he say to Malik?:: Bakura asked angrily, growing more concerned for his young lover.

:I don't know!: Ryou cried. :But please! Hurry!:

"Marik! Did you contact Malik?" Bakura asked the other yami roughly. When Marik shook his head with a troubled look, Bakura only grew more anxious.

"What's happening? Why isn't he answering me?" Marik began asking, his face set in alarm.

"I don't know, but it has something to do with Honda." Bakura snarled, and walked back to the leather shop they left their hikaris at, Marik trailing behind him while keeping an eye out for his lighter half.

"Bakura!" Ryou called, after catching sight of his dark. He ran over to him and launched into his arms, sobbing quietly. "I can't find him!"

"Calm down, Ryou." Marik soothed. "Did you see which way he went?" Ryou nodded and pointed towards the center of the mall, where tons of people were walking.

"I lost sight of him after he went in there." The hikari sniffled. "Honda said something to him, and-"

"Where is he?" Ryou stiffened at the venom laced in Bakura's voice, and looked up at him nervously. "I'll kill him once I get my hands on him!"

"Bakura, please." Ryou begged, "You can't, Yami will be upset…"

"I don't give a damn!" Bakura shouted, trembling in barely contained rage. "Marik, you start looking for Malik, I'm going to have a nice 'talk' with Honda." Marik nodded his head and hurried off towards the crowd, checking his mind link constantly for any signs of his hikari.

"I'm going to call Yami and Yugi." Ryou said, letting go of Bakura and digging around in his pockets for his cell phone.

"I don't need that meddling pharaoh here." Bakura huffed, crossing his arms. But he didn't stop his light from dialing the Game King's house. He tuned out of his light's conversation, and instead turned towards a new interest, seeing Honda hiding behind a few clothes racks in the said leather store. He snarled, and marched over to him.

"What the hell do you want?" Honda demanded shakily, trying hard to act brave even though his entire frame was shaking.

"Cut the crap. What did you say to him?" Bakura said menacingly, picking up the mortal teen by the collar of his shirt. "Tell me!"

"I said nothing but the truth!" Honda spat, struggling to get out of the enraged spirit's arms.

"Bakura, please! Just let him go, Yami said he'll take care of everything when he gets here." Ryou begged, having ran back into the store after finishing his conversations with Yugi. Bakura held Honda for a few more minutes, glowering at him fiercely before he dropped his hold on the other's shirt, watching in cold amusement as he fell to the floor.

"You're off the hook now. But, if I see you anywhere near my hikari or Malik, I'll kill you." Bakura threatened, letting Honda know that he meant what he said. He spun around on his heels, and marched outside, Ryou following close behind.

"What should we do?" Ryou asked worriedly. "Malik looked so upset…Can Marik find him?" Bakura sighed, and shook his head.

"I don't know, Ryou-chan. I think Malik closed his link with him." He frowned and looked at the mass of people in the store. How were they going to find him in this crowd?

"Can you use to ring to look for him?" Ryou asked quietly, touching the center of his yami's chest. Bakura blinked, and grabbed Ryou's hand, kissing his fingers before he grinned.

"That's brilliant, hikari!" He closed his eyes and concentrated on summoning the Millenium Ring. It appeared on his chest, and he lifted it up, pointing it out towards the center of the mall. "Show me the direction Malik is in!" The ring glowed, and one of the points lifted up and pointed towards the right. Bakura smirked and grabbed on to his lights hand, speeding off to the said direction.

"We'll find him, right Bakura?" Ryou asked, panting as he tried to match his yami's quick pace.

"Hai, Malik will be just fine. I promise." Bakura turned around and smiled at his light, before kissing his forehead. "I know he will…"

Following the ring, they found themselves in a secluded part of the mall, where only a few people were hanging out and talking. Bakura, who was focusing on the ring, didn't notice Marik until he ran right into him.

"Damnit! Watch where you're going!" Bakura cursed, pausing when he realized it was the other yami. "Marik! Did you find him yet?"

"No." Marik scowled, but it seems as if you're on your way to finding him." He gestured to the Millenium Ring. Suddenly, he looked worried. "Where's Ryou?"

"Ryou? He's right …damnit!" Bakura turned around and began cursing rapidly when he realized his light wasn't behind him anymore.

"Wait, he's just over there." Marik pointed over to where Ryou was, blinking when the light dropped to his knees and began crawling under a table by the far corner. "What's he doing?"

"I don't know." Bakura scowled, and began walking over towards the table. He crouched down and peeked under, nearly crying out in relief when he saw Malik wrapped up in his hikari's arms. "Malik! Thank Ra you're okay!" 

"Malik?" Marik pushed Bakura out of the way and edged towards his hikari. He pulled him close and began kissing the teen all over his face. "I was so worried! Don't you ever do that again!" Bakura, who noticed that Malik was acting a bit strange, began to feel a bit anxious. He helped the two lights out from underneath the table, ignoring the weird stares they received.

"He hasn't said a word." Ryou said quietly, holding onto Malik's hand. "And his eyes…" Bakura and Marik both frowned, and looked at Malik carefully, gasping when they saw that Malik's once bright lavender colored eyes seemed dead.

"Mal-chan?" Bakura murmured, and placed his hand on the younger boy's face. Malik didn't even acknowledge him, only stared blankly ahead. Ryou blinked back tears and squeezed Malik's hand tightly. Marik looked even more upset than before, fighting back the instinct to shake the teen until he answered.

"Ryou? We finally found you!" 

Ryou turned his head and caught sight of Yugi and Yami making their way over to them.

"I see you found him, safe and sound." Yami nodded towards Malik, not noticing the depressing mood that hung around the four. "I'm glad." 

"Shut up, Pharaoh." Bakura choked, turning around to face the Game King. "Something's wrong with him." He closed his eyes and turned his head away, fists clenching together. Ryou sniffled, and brought Malik's hand up to his mouth, kissing it softly.

"Malik? Come on, this isn't funny." Marik whimpered desperately, trying not to look in Malik's blank eyes. "Malik? Hikari…please, say something." He began to beg, fisting his hands in Malik's shirt and shaking him. "Onegai! Malik!" 

"Marik…" Bakura tried to pull the other yami away, but was pushed back violently.

"No! He's okay. He's just tired, right Malik?" Marik pulled his light's unresisting body to his own. "That's right, he's just exhausted from today's events…" 

"What the hell happened?" Yami demanded, setting his hand on Bakura's shoulder. Bakura shrugged him off roughly.

"Honda happened, that's what." He snarled, baring his fangs at the other dark. Yami just raised an eyebrow as if saying to explain more. "He cornered Malik and said something to him, I don't know what, and it upset him."

"But why isn't he responding to us?" Ryou asked tearfully, coming over to stand by his yami and Yugi. Yami frowned.

"What Honda said must of hit him pretty hard. He probably needs some time to cope, just give him a day and see what happens." He suggested. 

"You better keep that friend of yours away from us." Bakura warned. "Because the next time I see him, he'll have a one way trip to the Shadow Realm." Yami sighed.

"Agreed. Now, hurry up and get home. I'm sure being in such a crowded area isn't helping Malik much." Bakura hated to admit it, but the pharaoh was right. He grabbed onto Ryou's hand and turned around to Marik.

"Come on, we're going home." Marik sniffed and smiled down at Malik.

"Did you hear that, hikari? We're going home." He held his light tighter. "Aren't you happy?"

"Marik.." Bakura whispered heartbrokenly. He hated to see the other like this. "Come on." He reached out and held Marik's hand, forcing a smile. "Everything will be okay." Marik whimpered and nodded, gripping Bakura's hand until his knuckles turned white, a few tears making their way down his cheek as he let the dark lead them out of the mall.

* * *

"Why won't he answer me, Bakura?" Marik sobbed into the other yami's chest. "It's like he doesn't even see me!" Bakura winced and held onto Marik as the dark poured his heart out. It wasn't everyday Marik got all emotional and teary-eyed, and it was concerning Bakura greatly.

"Shh, daijoubu." Bakura soothed, stroking Marik's wild hair gently. "We've only been home for a few hours. You have to give him time, Marik."

"But I can barely sense him anymore!" Marik fisted his hands into Bakura's shirt, sounding close to hysterical. "It's like his soul is being torn apart! And there isn't anything I can do about it!"

He continued to cry helplessly. Even Bakura's comforting words weren't calming him down. The dark mentally called out for his other half, asking him for help. Within a few minutes, Ryou came from downstairs and into the living room. When he saw Marik, his eyes began to water, and he bit his lower lip anxiously.

"Marik?" He said quietly, placing a hand on the quivering yami's arm. Marik looked up at him and Ryou flinched at the sight of his lover's bloodshot eyes and tear-stained face. 

"Ryou-chan? Has he said anything?" Marik asked hopefully, his voice surprisingly small and frail. "Anything at all?" Ryou sighed, and shook his head sadly. He himself wanted to burst into tears, but felt as if he needed to be strong for Marik. After all, the yami seemed to be taking it the hardest out of any of them.

"I'm sure he'll be fine in the morning." Ryou forced a smile on his face. Seeing Malik like that, his best friend, his lover, unresponsive to any of them, was really making him depressed. Bakura, sensing Ryou's turmoil, pulled his light down with one arm to kiss his cheek.

"Let's go to be early, ne?" Marik and Ryou nodded their head tiredly, and didn't protest as Bakura led them upstairs and into Bakura's room, where Malik was sprawled out on the bed, staring up at the ceiling blankly.

Marik's breath hitched in his throat, and he closed his eyes, not being able to see his hikari look so soulless. He crawled into the bed and pulled his light on his chest, kissing the soft strands of Malik's blond hair. Ryou lied down next to them, giving each teens a kiss, brushing his fingertips on Malik's cheek gently. Bakura slipped in on the other side, and did the same thing Ryou did before resting his head on Marik's shoulder.

"Oyasumi." Bakura mumbled, and closed his eyes, hoping and praying desperately that Malik would awaken then next day.

* * *

Chibi B: A lot of people voted the mall, and so I made them go there. XD Thanks to all of you who DID give suggestions! They helped a lot! This chapter was, originally supposed to be fluffy and funny, but, I wasn't in the mood..;;; So, this is how it turned out. Sorry if the ending sorta sucked more than usual too, I wrote that SUPER fast one day, like, the last 500 words in 20 minutes… Then, I came back a few days later, and wrote the last 700 words after that in about, another 20 minutes…; AND THEN I came back and added more…so now the total is like, 5500...so…it's close enough…This chapter was really hard to write…

ANYWAYS

I promise to do my best to write a 6000-7000 word long chapter next time! You're reviews always help and make me work faster! Even though this month I'm super busy! I've got drumline (curses) once every week for two hours, and then drivers ed (Meep! Scary…) everyday for 3-4 weeks for, I dunno how many hours…; So, please R&R!

Oh! And give me ideas on what to do with Honda! I have to get rid of him somehow…hmm ::goes off to try to think::


	8. Chapter 8

Chibi B: Helloooooo! Yes, I am back with another chapter, and, so soon! ::gasp:: Surprising, ne? This one sorta just poured out after I finished chapter 7, it was awesome! And yes, I'm going to try to finish this one more than ToCN right now...mainly because I want to finish it so I can focus more on ToCN. I also have to work on PA too, even though I'd just love to drop that fic...::sigh:: But I shall not give up!

Taski: Still memoryless..but trying to make these sorry excuses for fics better..

Chibi B: Yay! Er, or not...::rememebers Taski's insults:: Ah, well, can't be helped.

A special note to The Chaotic Ones: I loved your idea! And I might have to borrow it, if it would be okay with you, of course. Gives me good ideas!

Disclaimer: No own Yu-Gi-Oh! Wish I did...

* * *

A soft groan pierced the silence in the room, and a pair of sleepy lavender colored eyes blinked open dazedly. He frowned, confused, and tried to move but found that a pair of arms wound around his waist prevented him from leaving his spot. He blinked, and lifted his head up, seeing his yami's peacefully sleeping face. Malik smiled sadly, tears coming to his eyes as he recalled Honda's harsh words. It was all true. He was a horrible, tainted, revolting human being, and he didn't deserve what he had. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying hard not to start crying and buried his head into Marik's chest.

"Malik…"

Malik's head snapped up, and he turned to the side, seeing Bakura staring at him with a relieved expression on his face.

"Thank Ra you're okay!" He breathed, reaching out a hand to brush back Malik's hair, a hurt look passing over his face when the teen flinched away from his touch. "You had us worried sick…"

"Gomen." Malik mumbled mournfully, mentally scolding himself for hurting the only one's he cared about. He didn't deserve them, and this proved it, all he did was cause them pain. He froze when he felt the body under him start to move, and looked up to watch as his yami's eyes fluttered open. When their eyes met, Marik gasped and crushed the teen to his chest.

"Malik! You're alright!" He cried, hugging the surprised hikari tightly. "I was so worried! Don't you ever, EVER do that to me again, do you hear me?" His loud, excited voice woke up Ryou, who moaned before blinking at everyone blearily. Seeing that Malik was awake and well, he smiled brightly.

"Malik-chan!" He squealed in relief, throwing himself on top of the other light, even though he was still situated on Marik's chest. "I'm so happy you're back!"

Malik couldn't believe it. He could practically feel the love for him in the room, and it made his eyes water. He opened his mouth, but could only stutter helplessly, not understanding how they could care for someone like him. "Malik…" Marik murmured, overhearing parts of his hikari's thoughts. "We love you so much, hikari. Without you, we wouldn't know what to do." 

"He's right." Bakura smiled, ruffling Malik's hair affectionately. "We'd be lost."

"Aishiteru, Malik-chan." Ryou whispered. "You're my best friend, I wouldn't know what to do if something really bad happened to you."

Malik shook his head, sniffling.

"H-Honda said…" He choked, biting back a sob. "He s-said…" But before he could continue, Bakura placed a finger on his lips.

"It doesn't matter what he said. It wasn't true." He took the light's hand and held it close to his heart, smiling. Marik sat up, making sure Malik was still placed in his lap, and buried his face into the other's hair.

"Bakura's right. It was all lies."

"But-" Malik began to protest, only to be silenced by Ryou this time.

"We. Love. You." Ryou whispered, accenting each word and smiling shyly. "Do you love us?"

"Yes! Of course I do!" Malik stumbled, pausing when Ryou interrupted once again.

"Then that's all that matters, ne?" Ryou tilted his head to the side, giggling. Malik shook his head and laughed, pulling the hikari up for a quick kiss, even though tears were still trailing down his face.

"Arigatou…" Malik sniffled. "I'm really sorry I made you worry…"

"Daijoubu, Malik-chan." Bakura smiled fondly.

"Why don't I go downstairs and make us some breakfast?" Ryou asked, stretching. All three nodded their heads eagerly; they loved Ryou's cooking.

"I think it's time for me to take a shower first." Bakura grimaced. "I don't know about you, but I feel filthy from just being in that mall for a few hours." Ryou giggled.

"And I thought I was the neat-freak."

"Hey!" Bakura laughed, reaching over and flicking his hikari's nose. Marik and Malik watched the two in amusement, shaking their heads when Bakura pinned Ryou to the bed and began tickling him.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Marik whispered into his light's ear, causing Malik to shiver involuntarily.

"H-Hai. I'm sorry I scared you…" 

"Don't worry about it." Marik interrupted, pulling Malik closer to his chest. "Just don't do it again."

"Agreed." Malik smiled, and nuzzled against his yami's throat lovingly. They watched as Bakura continued to tickle a helpless Ryou, until the boy was flushed and panting beneath him.

"Alright. Knock it off you two." Marik scolded, reaching a hand out to pull on Bakura's hair.

"Itai!" Bakura yelped, wincing. "Marik, yameru!" Marik released his handful of white hair and watched as Bakura sulked, glaring at him halfheartedly as Ryou regained his breath underneath him.

"You said you wanted to take a shower."

"What? Are you trying to get rid of me?" Bakura teased, standing up and stretching. Marik chuckled.

"Of course I am, you didn't know?"

"Ha ha. Funny." Bakura rolled his eyes and made his way into the bathroom. "Wanna join in?"

"Maybe later." Marik smirked. Bakura shrugged and grinned.

"Suit yourself, it's your loss." He winked before shutting the door to the bathroom. A few minutes later they heard the water turn on. Marik sighed and looked at the two hikaris. Malik squirmed his way out of his yami's lap, and stood up, yawning. 

"Let's head downstairs, okay?" He suggested, and grabbed hold of Ryou's hand, tugging the boy out of the room and down the stairs, Marik began to trail after them, a noticeable smile on his face before he paused at the doorway.

"You two go ahead. I'm going to stay up here and play some tricks on Kura." Marik chuckled deviously, making Ryou and Malik giggle softly.

"Don't be too mean." Malik warned, and kissed his yami's cheek before continuing his way to the kitchen.

Marik smirked widely and turned back towards the bathroom door, licking his lips.

"Oh Kurrrrraaaa…" He whispered evilly, and carefully planned out the rest of his idea.

* * *

"You don't think Bakura will be too upset with what Marik plans to do, right?" Ryou asked nervously, pulling out various mixing ingredients. He decided he would make pancakes that morning. Malik glanced at him from his position at the table, shrugging.

"I don't know…You can never tell with those two."

"True…" Ryou sighed, pausing in his ministrations and smiling lovingly at Malik. "It really is good to have you back, Malik."

"I was only out of it for a few hours." Malik mumbled, turning his face away to hide the soft blush that came to his cheeks when Ryou smiled at him like that.

"Well, it felt longer to us." Ryou said quietly, resuming in mixing certain things up in a bowl. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Ryou scowled, knowing that he was anything but presentable at the moment, considering he was covered in pancake mix. "Malik, could you get that for me?"

"Hai." Malik chirped, making his way over to Ryou's front door. He opened it up, smiling widely, but was unprepared at the person he saw.

"Malik?" A pair of cerulean blue eyes opened drastically at the teen in front of them. "Is it really you?"

"Neesan?" Malik gasped, his own eyes wide in shock. He never expected his sister to show up here. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" Isis said strictly, narrowing her eyes. "You've been gone for days! I didn't know where you were!" Malik flinched, realizing that he had indeed, forgotten to phone his elder sibling to inform her he'd been spending time here.

"Gomen, Isis." Malik bowed his head apologetically.

"Malik? Who's at the door?" Ryou called, walking out of the kitchen while stirring a bowl, his face covered in batter. "Oh! Isis-san! I wasn't expecting company…"

"It's okay, Ryou." Isis shook her head. "I won't be staying for long, I just came to retrieve my brother."

"Nani?" Malik gaped, his jaw dropping.

"You're coming home with me. You've been here long enough." Isis stated, placing her hands on her hips in a posture that informed him he had little choice in the matter. Malik's shoulders slumped in defeat, and he lowered his head.

"Okay, let me go get-"

"MARIIIIIIK!"

All three of them paused at the shriek coming from upstairs, and became even more confused when thumping noises were heard, and Marik came whizzing past them and behind Ryou, laughing hysterically.

Not far behind was Bakura, stark naked and covered in soap and bubbles, waving a shampoo bottle threateningly at the other yami, cursing in another language.

"What's your problem, Kura? I thought you wanted me to take a shower with you?" Marik giggled innocently, squealing and running behind Malik when Bakura tried to chase and strangle him at the same time.

"You know I was just joking about that!"

Ryou, Malik, and Isis blinked at the childish argument, the two boys letting out long sighs. Isis, however, didn't look too amused.

"What's going on here." She asked calmly. It was only then did Bakura and Marik realize she there in the room with them.

"Oh shit…" Marik muttered, and quickly stopped acting obnoxious. Bakura just blinked oddly at the girl until Marik elbowed him. "Get some clothes on." The yami hissed.

"Clothes?" Bakura looked confused for a moment. "Oh! Yes, clothes…" He used the ring to manifest himself in what he usually wore; a blue striped T-shirt and tight jeans.

"So, did you come here for a reason?" Marik asked his hikari's sister, trying to be as polite as he could.

"Yes, I came here to pick Malik up, and it looks as if I'll be taking you home as well." Isis hissed, glaring heatedly at her brother's yami. She had always hated the spirit, and when she recently found out that it was abusing her only little brother, and there was nothing she could do, it only made her hate him more.

"Home?" Marik frowned. "We don't want to go home, do we Malik?"

"Not really…" Malik muttered, flinching when his sister glared at him.

"Marik, don't try to persuade his decision. You know the only reason he's agreeing with you is because he's scared." Isis warned, still glowering daggers at the dark half. She didn't notice when both Malik and Marik flinched, the older blonde's shoulder's slouching slightly.

"Isis! That's not true!" Malik protested desperately, feeling his other's sorrow through their link. "Marik doesn't hurt me anymore!" Isis blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"He doesn't hurt me anymore." Malik repeated quietly, not meeting his sister's eyes. He walked over to his yami and grabbed on to his hand. "And, I want to stay a bit longer, if that's alright with Ryou and Bakura…" He glanced at the two hesitantly.

"Of course it's okay!" Ryou smiled. "Stay as long as you want, I have no problem with that."

"Neither do I." Bakura smirked, arms crossed and leaning against the doorframe where Ryou was standing.

Isis looked at them in disbelief. It seemed as if the yamis and hikaris were actually getting _along _together, which was almost impossible for her to think about. But, staring at her brother and his yami, she realized she couldn't deny that Marik seemed to have been acting differently. She mentally slapped herself. It didn't matter, Malik had to come home.

"I'm sorry Malik, but you really must come back with me." Isis said, watching as her sibling's face fell. "Rishid is very worried about you, and you know how he gets."

"Can't you tell him to just call over here or something?" Bakura asked, an annoyed look on his face. "I mean, he's old enough to and everything."

"I really want to stay here, Isis." Malik begged, his eyes wide and trembling. 

"No." Isis shook her head firmly. "Malik Ishtar, I want no arguments from you."

"He's old enough to make his own decisions! He isn't a child anymore!" Marik shouted, glaring back at his hikari's sister steadily. "For Ra's sake, you aren't his mother!" This time it was Isis who flinched, staring at him in shock before she looked down at her feet.

"I suppose you're right." She muttered and Malik watched worriedly.

"Neesan, how about I come home with you today," he ignored the upset looks his lover's were giving him. "And then come back over here later tonight. I have a feeling I'll be staying a while, so it will be a good opportunity to pick up some of my stuff."

"Hn. That might work." Marik mused, shooting a look at Bakura and Ryou. "You okay with that?" Ryou nodded his head eagerly and Bakura rolled his eyes. 

"You don't really need to ask." He snorted, smirking at the two Egyptians. "Just hurry back tonight."

"We will. If it's okay with Isis." Malik trailed off nervously, and pleadingly looked at his elder sister. Isis sighed, and nodded.

"I suppose that could work." She agreed, and all four boys cheered happily, which made Isis smile. "I'm off work today, so that will give us some time to spend together." She looked at Malik when she said this, and the teen smiled brightly. Isis usually always worked, so they didn't really get to see each other that often.

"Alright then, I supposed we should leave now. Don't want to worry that old guy back home." Marik mumbled, using the term 'old guy' to refer to Rishid.

"Marik…" Malik scolded, hands on his hips and scowl plastered on his face. "That isn't very nice." Marik shrugged and grinned.

"Well, I'm not a very nice person, now am I?" He slipped his arm around Malik's waist and led him outside to stand by the teen's sister, missing the guarded look the woman was sending him. 

"Bye you guys!" Ryou ran up and hugged them both tightly. "Have fun!" Bakura came up behind him and did the same thing, which almost made Isis faint from shock. Bakura was actually being polite!

"Ja ne!" Malik waved, following Isis to her car. "You don't mind if Marik leaves his motorcycle here, do you?"

"Not at all!" Bakura called back, waving next to Ryou.

"It's _our_ motorcycle, hikari." Marik corrected, climbing in the backseat with Malik. Isis started the engine and began pulling out of Ryou's driveway, watching the two in her review mirror carefully.

About fifteen minutes into the ride (They lived about a half hour away) Malik had yawned, and with some coaxing from his yami he was now resting his head in Marik's lap, the other running his fingers through Malik's hair gently. Marik watched with a smile on his face as Malik fought to stay awake, his eyes clouded and dazed.

"Go to sleep, hikari." Marik whispered smoothly, and continued stroking Malik's hair until the teen had finally given up on trying to keep his eyes open, falling asleep almost instantly. Marik sighed, forgetting where he was at the moment, and brushed his fingers along Malik's face.

"What are you doing?" Isis asked sharply. Marik shot her a dirty look before putting a finger to his mouth in a shushing motion.

"He's sleeping. Keep your voice down."

"What are you and Bakura up to?" Isis questioned, her voice quieter than before as she glared back at the dark accusingly.

"Nothing." Marik sighed, scowling. Why did everyone always become suspicious when they acted nice. "Is it that hard to believe that we've changed?"

"Yes."

"I see." Marik muttered, rolling his eyes at her blunt statement. "I love Malik, I don't want to hurt him again." He jolted in shock when Isis slammed on her breaks in surprise, making a loud screeching noise and waking up Malik who shot off of Marik's lap and looked around frantically.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked hurriedly, looking around to make sure they hadn't been in a car crash or anything.

"Say that again?" Isis asked meekly, turning around to look at Marik, who just frowned at her.

"I love him."

And with those words said, Isis fainted.

-

* * *

-

"Now what am I going to do with all this pancake mix." Ryou muttered, now back in the kitchen and looking in despair at the amount he had. He definitely wouldn't be able to eat all that. He glanced at Bakura, who was seated at the table and drumming his fingers on the top in boredom. Ryou realized with a start that this was the first time he and his yami had been alone in their house since they got together with Marik and Malik. And he hated to admit it, but he was becoming slightly anxious.

"You okay, Ryou-chan?" Bakura asked, startling Ryou out of his thoughts. The hikari smiled shakily and nodded.

"Hai, Bakura-sama." He said, then flinched at the disappointed look his yami gave him. "Gomen…"

"Iie, daijoubu." Bakura shook his head. "Just slipped, right?" Ryou nodded. 

"Hai."

"So, what were you thinking about with such a intent look on your face?" Bakura asked, his head resting on the palm of his hand as he leaned on the table. Ryou blushed.

"Well, I was wondering how we were going to eat all these pancakes…"

"Don't worry! I'll be able to eat them all!" Ryou giggled at his other's ecstatic and proud exclamation, thinking about how much of a child the former tomb robber looked just then.

"Alright, I guess I'll start now." Ryou smiled, and turned the stove burner on, preparing the pan for cooking.

-

* * *

-

"I can't believe she passed out." Marik muttered sourly, now sitting in the passenger seat of the car, his hikari at the wheel.

"Well, I don't think she took it so well…"

"Really?" Marik asked sarcastically. "What ever made you think that?"

Malik winced, and shifted uncomfortably. Like Ryou, he was thinking about how this was the first time he and his yami had been alone since staying over at the other light's house. And, just like the other, he was a bit nervous.

"Sorry, Malik." Marik apologized, staring at the window forlornly. "I didn't mean to snap."

"Daijoubu." Malik muttered, and tried to give him a small smile. It must have worked because Marik gave him one right back. Within a few more minutes, they pulled into the driveway of their gigantic house. Malik sighed. "Home sweet home…"

Hearing a soft moan, both teens turned around and watched as Isis slowly came to. She blinked blearily and held her head, looking around to figure out where she was.

"What happened?"

"You fainted." Marik said straightforwardly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Why did I-?" Her eyes got wide as she remembered. "You said you loved my brother."

"Yes, and?" Marik raised his eyebrow. "Malik loves me back, so what's the big deal?" Isis turned her eyes on her brother. 

"Is this true?" She asked. Malik blushed and nodded his head shyly.

"It is." He confirmed.

"And with Ryou and Bakura? Are they with you too?"

"Hai."

Isis gaped, and her eyes rolled back in her head as she fainted again. Marik sighed in exasperation.

"That's really annoying."

"Neesan?" Malik poked his sister worriedly. "I don't think she's okay with us…"

"Doesn't matter. Aishiteru." Marik grinned, and kiss Malik's cheek, chuckling when he blushed again.

"I love you too, Marik. Now, can you help me carry her inside?"

-

* * *

-

"Mmmm, Wyou! Dese awe da bewst!"

Ryou covered his mouth to try to stifle his giggles as he watched his yami devour mass amounts of pancakes.

"I can't understand you when you talk with your mouth full…" He smiled, and Bakura grinned sheepishly, swallowing quickly.

"I said, 'these are the best'!" He gestured to his breakfast. "You're a great cook."

"Arigatou." Ryou blushed embarrassedly, and fiddled around with his fork. He had only just started one piece, and was already becoming full.

"Ryou…" Ryou's head snapped up to look at Bakura's concerned face. "You really should eat more, hikari." Ryou scowled. 

"I'm just not that hungry now."

"That's what you always say." Bakura sighed, taking a huge gulp of his orange juice. "Just, finish that pancake and I'll be happy."

Ryou grimaced, but nodded his head compliantly. If it would make his yami stop worrying, then he would do it. Reluctantly, he finished his meal, then stood up to do the dishes.

"Here, let me help." Bakura stood next to Ryou at the sink, and helped the teen rinse off the dishes and put them in the dishwasher.

"Thanks." Ryou smiled cutely, and stood next to the counter. "Ano, anything you want to do today?" Bakura frowned, and leaned back next to his hikari.

"I can't really think of anything in particular." Ryou tilted his head back, and sighed. "I miss them already." He smiled, then leaned against his yami, purring when the dark's arms wrapped around his waist. Bakura grinned and nuzzled against Ryou's neck, chuckling when the boy giggled. 

"You're so cute." He murmured, placing chaste kiss on his light's mouth. "What do you say we just cuddle?"

"You want to cuddle?" Ryou gaped. He scowled and put his hand on Bakura's forehead. "Are you feeling alright, Bakura?"

"I'm perfectly fine!" Bakura scowled, pushing Ryou's hand away and pouting. "You don't want to cuddle with me?" Ryou's eyes softened, and practically sparkled with happiness.

"Of course I want to cuddle with you." He said, leaning further into his other half's embrace. Unfortunately, Bakura started to pull away, and Ryou whined, trying to keep latched on to Bakura's arm.

"I just want to lay down on the couch so we'll be more comfortable." Bakura smirked, tugging his light into the living room. He fell backwards on to the comfortable sofa, and opened his arms to invite Ryou. Ryou smiled, and complied with his yami's silent request, gently lying himself across Bakura' chest.

"Aishiteru." Ryou breathed, closing his eyes to relax. Bakura's arms snaked around his back again, and squeezed him tightly.

"I love you too, Ryou-chan."

-

* * *

-

"Damn it, Isis is heavy." Marik complained, holding his light's sister bridal style in his arms. "Open the door!"

"I can't! I forgot my key…" Malik frowned, causing Marik to snicker lightly. Malik sighed and rang the doorbell, knowing that Rishid was definitely there. Sure enough, both blonds heard footsteps, and the door was unlocked and opened.

"Malik-sama!" Rishid yelled joyfully, his eyes sparkling in relief. "I was so worried about you, Master!" Malik couldn't help himself, and leapt into the elder man's arms, laughing.

"No need to worry! See? I'm fine!" 

"But I'm not! Hurry up, my arms are falling asleep." Marik snapped, feeling slightly jealous of how Malik and Rishid were so close.

"What did you do to her?" Rishid gasped, appalled. He quickly snatched Isis out of Marik's arms and carried her inside to lay her on the couch.

"I didn't do anything." Marik scowled, following his light into the living room. Rishid glared at him in distrust.

"No, it's true, Rishid. Oneesan fainted on the ride here."

"She did? Why?" Rishid asked confusedly, noticing how Malik started to blush lightly.

"Well, ano, you see…" Malik groaned and took a deep breath, figuring he might as well explain everything to him now. "First off, Marik doesn't hurt me anymore." Rishid's head snapped towards the yami's in complete disbelief. Marik just smirked and stood there with his arms crossed. "Second of all, Marik and I, are, well, together…"

"Nani?!" Rishid sputtered, eyes popping out of his skull.

"And with Ryou and Bakura…"

Rishid stood stark still, absorbing all the information and blinking dazedly. Suddenly, he scowled, and glared at Marik. 

"You brainwashed him, didn't you?" He pointed a finger accusingly at the slightly surprised dark. "Turn him back!"

"Rishid! He didn't brainwash me!" Malik rolled his eyes, then glanced at his yami. "Marik? Can I have the rod, please?"

"Sure." Marik shrugged, and reached into his back pocket, whipping out the item and tossing it to Malik, who caught it expertly.

"See? I have the rod right now, so, there isn't any other way he could control me."

"I see." Rishid leaned back against the couch thoughtfully. "Well, I still don't trust him, but, if you're happy, then I am happy."

"Arigatou, Rishid." Malik smiled in relief, then gave his yami back the rod, kissing the other's cheek happily. "I hope Isis feels the same way…"

"Well, while she's out, do you think we should start packing?" Marik questioned, snaking an arm around his light's waist. Rishid blinked.

"Packing? For what?"

"Oh! Ano, Marik and I are going to stay at Ryou's for a while." Malik shuffled his feet nervously, knowing that Rishid would definitely be upset that he was leaving.

"Nani?" Rishid asked, the disappointment apparent in his voice. "How long?" Malik shrugged, and leaned against Marik's side, staring at the ground. Rishid sighed, then forced a smile on his face. "You will visit, then?"

"Of course." Malik smiled, looking relieved. He began to tug on Marik's arm. "Let's go upstairs." Marik smiled, and allowed himself to be towed to Malik's room.

Rishid sighed, frowning thoughtfully, and gently shook Isis.

"Nnn?" Isis's eyes fluttered open. "Rishid?"

"Yes." Rishid nodded. "Marik and Malik brought you to me, they said you had fainted." Isis put a hand to her forehead and groaned at her pounding headache.

"Yes, I'm sure they've already told you why?"

"I'm guessing you didn't take the news of him being in a relationship with those three very well." Rishid stated smoothly, crossing his arms. "I can't say I agree with it either…"

"Well, there isn't much we can do. It is his life after all." Isis shook her head, upset. "I wish he could have found someone better. I don't mind Ryou. But, Marik and Bakura?"

"It does seem that the dark has changed. We can only hope it isn't an act, and that Bakura has become a different being as well."

"Yes, I suppose that is all we can do." Isis sighed and stood up. "Where is my brother?"

"Upstairs packing." Rishid's face fell. "How long do you think he'll be gone?"

"I can't say…" 

"No, Marik don't!"

Isis and Rishid both jumped at the sound of Malik's panicked voice, and glanced at each other before running up the stairs. They barged into the room, fully prepared to kick Marik's ass, but instead, stopped and stared at the scene in front of them in disbelief.

"Oneesan! Stop him! He's killing me!" Malik cried, struggling to get away from his yami's hands as the dark mercilessly tickled him.

"I thought you weren't ticklish, hikari?" Marik teased with a grin, his hands squeezing Malik's waist as the younger teen giggled helplessly.

"I-I'm not!"

"Tsk, tsk, hikari! Lying to me now? I think you need to be punished." Marik growled, and began tickling Malik until the light was gasping for breath, tears streaming down his face. "I give! I give!" Malik snickered, breathing deeply once his yami stopped. He stared up at his yami with a huge smile, his eyes sparkling and face flushed. Marik couldn't help but lean down and brush his lips against the other's, feeling Malik relax beneath him. A cough from the doorway interrupted them, and Malik went red as he stared at his sister. Marik, on the other hand, scowled. 

"What do you want?"

"Well, we heard Malik…" Isis gestured, Marik picking up instantly on what she thought was happening.

"I told you I don't hurt my hikari any more." He growled.

"Well, it's hard to believe those words coming from a murderous, cold-hearted spirit." Isis spat, glaring angrily at the dark.

"Isis!" Malik cried, horrified. He looked at his sister, his violet eyes betraying his pain at those words. "Marik's not like that anymore!"

"Hn. I don't think she'll ever believe it." Marik shrugged, and stood up, avoiding eye contact with the two figures at the doorways and helping Malik up. "I think I should go."

"Nani?" Malik gasped, wide eyed. "Where? Why?" All three people in the room blinked at the desperation in Malik's voice. "You aren't leaving me, are you?" 

"Iie. Calm down." Marik chuckled. "I'm just going to go back to Ryou's place. You can finish spending time with your sister and packing, then call me when you're ready to come back." He shot a look at Isis and Rishid. "After all, it's obvious I'm not welcome."

"I think that's a wonderful idea." Isis said stonily, looking at Marik expressionlessly.

"Demo-" Malik began to protest, but at a glare from his sister and a reassuring look from his darker half, he sighed and gave in. "A-Alright." Marik smiled sadly at his light, and lifted his chin to meet his eyes.

"I love you, Malik." Marik whispered, then leaned down to kiss Malik passionately. Malik moaned, and wrapped his arms around Marik's neck, pulling him closer as their tongues battled playfully. Marik pulled back, panting, and gave Malik one last kiss before he walked past a open mouthed Isis and an indifferent Rishid. "Ja ne!"

"Bye, Marik! Aishiteru!" Malik called, listening as the front door slammed shut and a motorcycle started, then sped away. He sighed depressingly, and plopped down on his bed. "Are you happy now?" He asked his sister sarcastically.

"Yes, indeed." Isis said curtly, then walked briskly out of the room. "I'm making dinner, then you and I can go out and catch up together." Malik sighed yet again, and began fiddling with the bed sheets.

He missed his yami already. And Ryou and Bakura too. He didn't want to be separated from them. Malik frowned. And it looked as if Isis was willing to do anything to split them apart, even for a moment. He groaned, and fell backwards, noticing with a start that Rishid was still in the room.

"Yes?" He asked, wondering if his adopted brother needed anything.

"Are you happy, Master?" He asked, making Malik blink.

"Right now? Or with Ryou, Bakura, and Marik?"

"With those three."

"I've never been happier." Malik grinned, his heart fluttering just thinking about them. "I don't know how I survived without them." Rishid smiled and nodded, before muttering something about helping Isis in the kitchen. Malik groaned, and turned around on his stomach, resting his head on his arms.

"I hope they're all having fun…"

-

* * *

-

Bakura's eyes shot open from his spot on the couch when he distinctly heard the front door being opened, and footsteps making their way down the hall. Gently, so as not to wake his slumbering light, Bakura rolled the younger boy off of him, kissing his cheek before tiptoeing to the doorway.

"Boo."

Bakura jumped, and whirled around to face a smug Marik. He glared. 

"Don't do that." He hissed, and Marik chuckled heartily. "You and Malik are back already?" Bakura asked, a confused look replacing his angered one. Marik's smile faded and he frowned.

"Iie. Just me. He and Isis are going to spend some time together."

"I see." Bakura said skeptically. He could tell something else was wrong. Noticing Bakura's look, Marik rolled his eyes.

"Isis and Rishid don't like the thought of us being together." He confessed, crossing his arms angrily. "Especially Isis."

"Hn." Bakura scowled. "Well, there isn't anything she can do about it, right?" Marik sighed.

"She can persuade Malik to change his mind. You know that Malik will do almost anything to make his sister happy."

"That's true." Bakura scratched his head thoughtfully. "We'll just have to trust that Malik will come back."

"Yeah." Marik's shoulder's sagged, his face looking hopeless.

"Oh, come here you baka." Bakura snickered, and threw his arm around Marik's neck, pulling him to his chest. "Everything will be fine." He buried his face in the other's wild hair contently, feeling Marik relax against him.

"Thanks, Kura."

"Bakura, Marik?"

Both dark's heads snapped towards the couch, seeing a blinking Ryou looking at them quizzically, his eyes still heavy with sleep. The hikari yawned and rubbed at his eyes before swinging his legs off the couch and standing up, making his way to his lovers.

"Where's Malik?" He asked, leaning his head on Marik's shoulder. Marik wrapped an arm around the teen's waist to help him stand up right before answering.

"He's still with Isis. I told him to call when he wants to be picked up."

"Alright." Ryou yawned again. "Do you want something to eat?"

"Iie, I'm fine." Marik declined, brushing a strand of silver hair behind Ryou's ear.

"Me too." Bakura smiled. "Are you even hungry?"

"Not really…" Ryou trailed off, blushing. "Ano, Marik? Did you tell Isis about us?"

"Yeah." Marik muttered, avoiding eye contact with the younger light, not wanting to talk about it. Ryou obviously didn't notice, and continued with his questions.

"Is she okay with it?"

Marik fell silent, and Bakura looked at the ground, both shuffling their feet, making Ryou feel extremely nervous. He pulled out of Marik's loose embrace, and sat down on the sofa, curling up into a little ball, his chin resting on his knees.

"She isn't, is she?"

Marik sighed, and shook his head. Bakura walked over to his hikari and plopped down next to him, his hand stroking Ryou's silvery hair.

"It'll be fine you guys." Bakura said, his voice reassuring. "I didn't think you would worry about such a little thing. Malik will be back tonight before you know it." He jumped, startled when the phone rang. Ryou stood up and went into the kitchen to answer it.

"It's Malik!" He smiled peeking his head around the doorway to the living room. Marik and Bakura both jumped up and dashed into the kitchen, trying to listen in on the conversation. 

"Can I talk to him?" Marik asked pleadingly, his hand reaching for the phone. Ryou smacked it away lightly, his face looking upset as he listened to Malik on the other end of the line.

"What do you mean you're not coming back tonight?" Ryou asked heartbrokenly. "You said you would…" He listened more, while the yamis stood there, concerned. Ryou sighed. "Is there anything we can do to change her mind?" Marik growled, immediately picking up on what was happening, and snatched the phone out of Ryou's hands.

"Malik? Put Isis on." Marik demanded, his voice stern. Malik started to protest, but Marik only insisted more. Suddenly, Isis's voice came on.

"What do you want?"

"I'll make you a deal." Marik said. "We'll come and stay over there for a while. That way, you can see that Bakura and I are telling the truth, and that Ryou and Malik are safe." 

"Like I would want the two of you in my house." Isis snorted.

"It would make you're brother happy." Marik hissed. "Or are you too blinded by your own selfishness to see how miserable you're making him?" Isis narrowed her eyes and growled, before turning around and staring at Malik, seeing that the teen really did look depressed.

"Fine." She agreed reluctantly. "But if I see anything suspicious-"

"We'll be over in an hour." Marik hung up the phone and sighed. "Thank Ra that worked."

"Weren't you at least going to see if that was okay with us?" Bakura scowled, his arms crossed as he leaned against the refrigerator. Ryou was sitting at the table, staring up at the two with his hands clasped in his lap.

"Gomen, but it was all I could think of on such short notice." Marik grinned humorlessly. "We're going to have to be on our best behavior.

"What fun." Bakura rolled his eyes sarcastically, and Marik chuckled.

"Ryou? You don't mind, do you?" Marik asked the younger light, who had been silent the whole time.

"Iie, of course not." Ryou smiled. "It's just that, how can we act around each other?" 

"Like we do here." Bakura shrugged. "If she can't take even a little kissing, then maybe we can convince the stuck up Pharaoh to do something."

"Yami? Why him?" Ryou asked quizzically. Bakura NEVER asked Yami for anything.

"Because Isis will listen to him. After all, he's the Pharaoh." Marik rolled his eyes. "And a pompous prick…" He muttered the last part under his breath, but Bakura chuckled, having heard it."

"True."

"I'll go pack some clothes." Ryou announced, and started up the stairs. "How long do you think we'll be staying?"

"Can't say for sure…" Bakura muttered, running his fingers through his hair thoughtfully as he followed his light to his room. "But don't pack too much."

-

* * *

-

-

"Malik, come on, stop looking out the window and help me." Isis sighed, walking into the room while wiping her hands on a towel. Malik shook his head and continued staring.

"I'm waiting for them…"

"I don't care, come on Malik." Isis frowned. Malik looked miserable, waiting there with his head resting on the window and staring down the street. She really couldn't understand why…

"How come you're acting like this, Neesan?" Malik asked, breaking Isis from her thoughts.

"What do you mean?" She asked defensively, crossing her arms.

"Like you want us to break up." Malik whispered, then turned around to look in his sibling's eyes. "I don't understand, I thought you would be happy for me…Do you want Marik to start hurting me again?"

"What? No! Of course not!" Isis yelled, horrified at the thought. Malik turned back to look out the window.

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Malik…" Isis bit her lip. "I just want you to be safe. How can you trust him after everything he's done to you?"

"I didn't, at first." Malik mumbled. "Demo, then I realized that he was telling the truth. He's my yami, Isis, so I can feel his emotions."

"Still, I just don't want to see you hurt." Isis sat down on the windowsill next to her brother, reaching out a hand and placing it on his shoulder. "Can't you understand that?"

"Hai." Malik sighed. "But, I know they love me, and I love them. So, can you please try to be nice to them? For me?" He used his puppy dog eyes, which would make anyone melt, (especially Isis). She chuckled and nodded her head.

"I'll try."

Suddenly, Malik perked up, his head cocked to the side as he heard the familiar sound of a motorcycle pulling in their front yard. Giving Isis a beaming smile, he leapt off the windowsill and out the front door to greet his lover. As soon as Marik caught sight of Malik running towards him, he smirked and held his arms out, barely managing to stay on his feet when his hikari jumped into his arms.

"Hey, Malik-koi!" He laughed, squeezing his light to his chest. "Miss me?"

"Hai!" Malik giggled, his eyes radiating cheerfulness. "Neesan is making dinner now. Ano, where's Bakura and Ryou? They're coming, right?" The last part was spoken hopefully, his eyes betraying his nervousness.

"Yeah, they'll be here in a while. Ryou insisted that he stop to get a gift for Isis, so Bakura went with him."

"That's Ryou for you!" Malik smiled, leaning his head on his yami's shoulder. "Always so polite…"

"Mmhmm." Marik murmured, burying his head in his light's hair and inhaling the scent of his shampoo contently.

"I had a talk with Isis too." Malik said quietly, wrapping his arms around Marik's waist. "She said she'll try to be a little nicer."

"Well, that's a relief." Marik sighed, lifting his head up and starting towards the house, Malik still attached to his hip. "Ryou was really worried when I told him how Isis reacted."

"He doesn't have to worry, Isis adores Ryou." Malik winced, hugging Marik tighter when the elder teen sighed.

"I know, it's Bakura and I she doesn't like." 

"I'm sure she'll be fine once she gets to know you better." Malik stated, trying to be somewhat positive. Marik smirked and nodded his head.

"I'm sure you're right, hikari."

They walked inside and into the living room, Marik nodding his head to Rishid at the front door, and plopped down on the sofa. Isis peeked in from the kitchen, and blinked. "Where's Ryou?" "He and Bakura will be here soon." Marik informed, brushing off the fact that Isis only asked for Ryou and not Bakura. 

Marik realized amusedly that Isis really didn't know too much about the white haired thief. She had only seen him a few times, and had rarely spoken with him. He scowled when he noticed Isis still looking at him.

"Nan desu ka?"

"Nothing." She muttered, and disappeared back into the other room to finish cooking. Marik shrugged and looked down at Malik who was resting his head against his chest comfortably.

"So, how was your day with your sister?" He asked, twirling his fingers around in Malik's hair. Malik smiled and snuggled further into his yami's embrace.

"It was good to get to spend time with her again. She's always so busy." Marik nodded and listened as his hikari went into further detail about his day. He was about to ask another question when they heard the sound of another motorbike pulling in the driveway.

"That must be them." He muttered, sighing when Malik bounced out of his arms and to the door. Marik couldn't help but smile at his light's enthusiasm, and stood up to follow. They opened to door to reveal their two white-haired companions standing there carrying a whole bunch of luggage. Ryou smiled sheepishly.

"I hope we aren't too late…"

-

* * *

Chibi B: And that's it for now! Yay for me! It was 7000 words! Well, more like 6900, but, you're happy, right? Right?!

Thanks to all you reviewers! I wuvvies you! ::throws out random prizes:: You inpire me!

R&R! (Promise to work on the next chapter! Hopefully I'll get more done before I have to leave for camp...)


	9. Chapter 9

Chibi B: No! I am not dead. And yes, this is an actual update...REJOICE!

Taski: Yay. ::fake cheers::

Chibi B: Okay, now, this chapter is like, completely random. And, I know I said I'd be focusing on this fic more than ToCN...but, I think inspiration has just run dry. Hehehe. Though, ToCN isn't doing much better. And don't even get me started on PA, I haven't looked at that fic in like, forever...::Dodges various vegetables::

Gah! I'll work harder! Promise! I really want to finish these fics up before I start another one. But, I think I just started one last night... ::sigh:: Oh well.

Thanks a lot reviewers! Without you, I probably would have forgotten my fics and left them to rot! ::bows::

Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Oh! And I had to change the mind link thingie, because the stupid backslash thingies aren't showing up...

:Ryou to Bakura:

::Bakura to Ryou::

And, I don't know how I'll do Malik and Marik yet, but, I'll find something!

* * *

"I hope we aren't too late…" 

"Iie! Right on time actually." Malik smiled, ushering them both inside, taking their bags and handing them to Marik.

"Nani? What's with all the stuff? You staying for a millennia or something?" Marik grumbled, struggling to hold onto a few duffle bags. Ryou blushed.

"Gomen, Bakura wanted to pack his own clothes as well…" 

"Lemme guess, more than half of this stuff is his, isn't it?" Marik rolled his eyes, struggling not to laugh at the 'innocent' look on the other yami's face when he glared at him.

"Rishid? Could you help Marik carry these to my room?" Malik asked, beckoning his adopted brother over to them.

"Arigatou." Ryou smiled, bowing at the older man. "Sorry to be such a bother…"

"It's no trouble at all." Rishid assured, unable to keep himself from melting at the sight of the other's smile. He grabbed onto a few other bags and towed them upstairs, Marik following behind them.

"Ano, I guess I should inform Isis that you're here." Malik shrugged, grabbing on to Bakura's hand and tugging him down the hall, knowing Ryou was following behind. "She's cooking dinner now." They turned in the doorway to see Isis finish setting the table, laying out various dishes of food.

"Oh dear." Ryou frowned regretfully. "I'm sorry we weren't here earlier to help you set the table…" Isis jumped at the voice, and turned around, smiling at Ryou.

"It's alright, Ryou. No trouble at all."

"Ano…Why are there only four plates?" Bakura asked quizzically, blinking at the table. Isis frowned.

"You and Marik don't need to eat." She muttered, and Bakura sighed, beginning to frown.

"That doesn't mean we don't like to…" Ryou suddenly elbowed him gently in the side, nodding his head towards Isis. "Oh yeah…" He muttered, and pulled out a box of chocolates, handing them to Isis. "Ryou told me to give these to you."

"Bakura!" Ryou slapped a hand to his forehead in disbelief while Malik tried hard to contain his snickers.

"What?" Bakura blinked, still holding the box of chocolates out. Isis grabbed a hold of them gently.

"Thank you." She bowed her head slightly before heading over to the table. "Where's Rishid?"

"We're right here." Marik informed, announcing his presence in the room, Rishid walking behind him. "Let's eat, I'm starving!" He clasped his hands together excitedly, then noticed there was only four plates and four chairs set up at the table. He raised an eyebrow in question.

"We don't need to eat." Bakura mumbled, somewhat sourly. "And apparently, we don't need to sit, either."

"Gomen, let me go see if I can find another chair." Malik sighed apologetically, walking out of the kitchen to see what he could get, but not before he glared slightly in Isis's direction. Ryou sat down politely across from Isis and Rishid, smiling up at Marik and Bakura.

"If you want, I can share my food with you." He offered, but Bakura shook his head fiercely.

"Iie. You're too skinny. You need to eat as much as you can." He grinned when Ryou blushed.

"Bakura…" 

"This is all I could find, unless you want me to drag up the folding chairs from the basement." Malik muttered, carrying a cushioned, wooden chair. "You two don't mind sharing, do you?"

"Of course not." Marik huffed, falling back into the seat and pulling Bakura on his lap. "We're just fine."

"I thought so." Malik snickered, and took his place next to Ryou, the yamis on the other side.

"Well, help yourselves." Isis said, choosing to ignore the two darker halves cuddling in the chair.

Marik had repositioned Bakura so that the tomb robber was curled up on his chest, his head resting on Marik's shoulder and his knees tucked up to his chin. The white haired yami sighed contently, and nuzzled against Marik's neck, purring when the elder dark began stroking his hair. Marik smiled amusedly, and leaned his head against Bakura's, still running his fingers through the other's silver locks.

"So, how long do you think you will be staying?" Isis asked abruptly, picking at her food before nibbling a few bites.

"I was hoping you would answer that question." Ryou admitted shyly. "Ano, maybe as long as we need to stay?"

"No more than a week." Malik said sternly, avoiding his sister's hurt look. But honestly, he couldn't stand her behavior towards Bakura and Marik. "We won't need to stay longer than a week."

"Alright." Isis muttered. "A week."

The rest of dinner was in silence. Everyone a little apprehensive about saying anything. Well, everyone except for Marik and Bakura that is. They were lost in their own world, still sitting in the chair together. Only now, Bakura had a sort of zoned out, pleasure filled grin on his face as Marik lazily rubbed the other's back and pet his hair. Suddenly, Marik smirked, and leaned over to get his hikari's attention, trying not to disturb Bakura at the same time.

"Nani?" Malik blinked, but was hushed when Marik pointed to Bakura. He whispered a few words in the mind link, and Malik giggled before excusing himself, running upstairs. Isis eyed Marik cautiously, about to question his antics, but was interrupted when Malik came running back in the kitchen, a choker/collar in his hand. He gave it to Marik and sat back down next to Ryou, a smile on his face. Ryou, who finally caught on to what was happening, looked around nervously.

"Ano…I don't think that's a good idea…" He mumbled softly, but Marik paid no attention, and, carefully as he could, slipped the belt around Bakura's neck, tightening it so he couldn't get it off and locking it. Bakura yelped and flew off of Marik's lap, tugging at the object around his neck frantically.

"Marik! Get this off of me!"

"Hmmm…" Marik pretended to think. "How about, no? It looks good on you!"

"Marik." Bakura growled, still tugging at the collar around his neck. "I'm not some animal! Take it off!"

"Of course you're not." Marik snickered, reaching out to grab hold of Bakura's arm, pulling the reluctant yami on his lap. "But it looks cute. Hey! We'll even get a tag that says, 'Property of Marik'!"

"Baka." Bakura snarled, but crossed his arms and sunk back into Marik's embrace, pouting. He glanced over to Malik and Ryou.

"Were you in this too?"

"Ummmm…"

"Nevermind." Bakura sulked even more, making Marik giggle and poke his nose.

"It's either the collar, or I carve the words into your ass."

"Hmm…I dunno, the carving sounds better." He smirked deviously, laughing when Marik pinched his thigh. "Just joking… But seriously, take this thing off, it's too tight." Marik pouted, but did as was requested, and removed the choker. Then, he brightened, getting an idea.

"Malik will wear it! Won't you, Mal?" Marik asked, waving the collar in the air with a smile on his face. Malik giggled and shook his head.

"No thanks, Marik."

"Aww, what about you, Ryou-chan?" Marik asked hopefully, turning his eyes on the shy teen. 

"Ano…I'd rather not…"

"Onegai? For me?" Marik pleaded, making his lower lip tremble. Still sitting in his lap, Bakura rolled his eyes, elbowing him in the stomach.

"Enough with the theatrics. Let them eat."

"Okay." Marik huffed, and stuffed the collar into his pocket. "I thought it looked sexy…" He glanced over at Isis and Rishid, who were both looking at him in shock. "Er, sorry I interrupted." He said sheepishly.

Isis just shook her head mutely, and continued to eat her food, still eyeing Marik and Bakura carefully. She was beginning to doubt her earlier accusations. The two yamis seemed, dare she say it, innocent enough. Marik certainly had changed at least. She didn't know much about the tomb robber, but seeing him curled against the other dark's chest, purring in content, made her doubt if the yami was evil at all.

"Neesan? Daijoubu ka?" Malik asked, startling Isis from her thoughts. She glanced up at her brother and noticed his worried face. "We've all finished eating…"

"Ah, excuse me." Isis blushed slightly. "I'm afraid I was lost in my thoughts. Go ahead if you're done, I'll clean up."

"There's no need for that, we'll help-mmmph!" Ryou was cut off when Malik put his hand on the other's mouth, effectively silencing the sometimes-too-polite-for-his-own-good hikari.

"Arigatou, Neesan!" Malik smiled, and tugged Ryou out of the room. "We're going to be upstairs for a while."

"Oi! Matte!" Marik called, struggling to pry a dozing Bakura off his lap. "Kura! Come on, let's go!"

"Nnnn…" Bakura groaned, his eyes furrowing together as he snuggled deeper into Marik's chest. "Dun wanna." Rolling his eyes, Marik stood up, his hands underneath Bakura legs and back to keep him from falling. Bakura whined, but let himself be carried out of the room, wrapping his arms around Marik's neck.

* * *

"Malik-kun! Why'd you do that? We could have at least helped her clean up…" Ryou frowned, now sitting on the tan teen's bed, glaring halfheartedly at the other. Malik rolled his eyes, and leaned against his doorframe, waiting for Bakura and Marik. 

"She had Rishid to help her. It's fine."

"Demo…" He paused when Marik suddenly came waltzing in the room, Bakura in his arms. Ryou blinked curiously. "Bakura?"

"He's fine, just being a lazy ass." Marik grumbled, making sure that Bakura heard the last two words. He was satisfied to see that Bakura was indeed looking more aware than he was before, since he was currently glaring daggers at him.

"Am not."

"Whatever you say."

"Baka. Put me down." Bakura stuck his tongue out. Marik shrugged, a grin on his face.

"If you say so…" He muttered, and then completely leg go of the other dark.

"Itai! Damnit!" Bakura hissed, landing on his butt. He glared up at the yami. "Yarou…"

"Tsk, tsk, Kura-chan! There are innocent ears here!" Marik giggled, pointed over to Malik and Ryou. Bakura snorted, and stood up from the floor, sitting down on the bed next to Ryou.

"So, what do we do now?" He asked, randomly grasping on to Ryou's hand, running his fingers over the light's palm gently.

"I dunno…" Malik muttered. "There's not much to do here."

"Well, it's getting kind of late, we could get to bed early…" Ryou suggested.

"Iie, you and I had a nap today already, remember?" Bakura poked Ryou's side teasingly. "You can't possibly be tired."

"True…" Ryou blushed.

"Let's go out, then!" Marik grinned. "We can go back to the mall, we never really did get any shopping done…And this time, Bakura and I will stay with you the whole time." Ryou shrugged, a cute smile on his face.

"Doesn't matter to me. Malik?" He tilted his head to the other hikari questionably. If Malik wasn't comfortable going, then neither was he. Malik smiled.

"Sure, why not? I'll just go let my sister know." He turned and walked out of his room to find Isis.

"We'll only be able to stay for a while, Kura." Marik informed. "Ryou was right, it is late."

"Hn. We don't really need to spend too much time there, do we?" He asked, nuzzling into Ryou's shoulder. Said teen blushed, but sighed contently.

"Iie."

"Then it's settled! Besides, just imagine them in those skin tight leather outfits." Bakura chuckled, licking his lips suggestively as he stared over at the other dark. Marik shifted a bit, and stifled down a moan, imagining both Malik and Ryou wearing outfits like the ones Bakura described.

"Marik?"

Marik shook his head, snapping out of his daydream and blinked up at his hikari. He guessed the light had been there a while, since Bakura was laughing into Ryou's hair.

"Nani?"

"We can leave now! Isis said to make sure we're back in three hours though."

"That's it?" Marik whined, following Malik as the younger teen tugged him out of the room and down the stairs.

"Yes, and you should be happy I'm even letting you out of the house with him." Isis said sternly, revealing her presence at the bottom of the stairs. Marik rolled his eyes.

"What could I have possibly been thinking? Forgive me, Oh Great Isis!" Marik gasped, feigning horror. "I'm eternally grateful and in your debt!" Bakura snickered at him, but paused at Isis's glare.

"If you hurt one hair on his head…" Isis trailed off warningly.

"I've said it before." Marik snapped, his face showing his irritation. "I don't hurt my hikari anymore! And I don't plan to hurt him ever again!"

"Come on, Marik." Malik begged quietly, pulling his yami past Isis and out the door. "I'll be home soon, Neesan!"

"Bye, Malik! Bye Ryou!" She called, waving to them as Bakura and Marik both mounted their bikes, with their respected hikaris seated behind them. She watched as they pulled out and sped down the street, her hands clasped together worriedly.

"I hope they'll be safe…" She murmured, before turning around and heading back inside.

* * *

"This is a perfect time to come here! Nobody's around this late!" Malik sighed, stepping off his yami's motorcycle and stretching. Marik smirked, and snaked an arm around his waist, pulling him to his chest to plant a kiss on his light's forehead. Malik blinked at the sudden show of affection, but leaned into the embrace willingly. He loved being held. 

"Let's get you some new outfits." Marik grinned maliciously, and treaded over to Bakura and Ryou, his arm still wrapped around Malik.

"You okay there Ryou-chan?" Malik giggled, noticing the lighter haired hikari swaying after getting down from the bike.

"Hai." Ryou smiled shakily. Marik shook his head and grabbed onto Ryou with his free arm.

"You're going to have to get used to those things sooner or later!" He smirked. "After all, it's the only mode of transportation we have."

"Don't remind me." Ryou groaned. Bakura laughed and held onto Ryou's free hand.

"It's okay, hikari of mine, I won't let the bad motorcycle hurt you." He teased, smiling when Ryou frowned.

"Not funny." He pouted, then sighed. "So, where to first?"

"Leather store!" Marik shouted instantly, a huge grin on his face.

"Hentai." Bakura mumbled, but followed Marik as the yami lead them through the mall to his favorite shop. Ryou and Malik's eyes widened.

"Umm, are we even old enough to go in there?" Ryou squeaked, eyeing all the revealing looking clothes through the window, not to mention a few inappropriate items.

"Well, it is an adult store." Marik shrugged casually. "But, nobody will notice us."

"An adult store? What else is in here?"

"Trust me, Ryou, you don't want to know." Bakura said, placing a hand on his light's shoulder and steering him in the store, followed by Malik and Marik.

"I can't believe I'm going into this place…" Malik muttered, a faint blush on his face as he encountered yet another sexual item, after being in the store for only five minutes. "Neesan would kill me if she ever found out I was here."

"Then we'll just have to make sure she doesn't find out, right?" Marik said, grinning savagely at his light. Ahead of them, Bakura had put a hand over Ryou's eyes to block him from seeing some, explicit items they were passing by.

"Bakura, I'm not a little kid, you know." Ryou complained, a frown on his face. He followed his yami trustingly, however, even though he felt he was being treated like a child.

"I know you're not." Bakura sighed. "I just don't think you need to see some of these things yet…"

"But Malik's just a little older than me! How come nobody's covering his eyes?"

"Because he's seen this stuff before…"

"But-!"

"No buts, hikari." Bakura scolded, tugging on Ryou's hair gently. "Now hold on, we're almost in the relatively safe part of the store." Ryou's shoulders sunk, complying, but not without a small pout on his face.

"And, voila, the clothes!" Marik giggled, a little maniacally, and began digging through the shelves and racks.

"I didn't know you knew French, Marik." Bakura mumbled, before letting go of his hikari and helping in looking through the different assortments of leather.

Ryou and Malik stood in the corner by the dressing room, blinking. Ryou gazed around himself curiously, feeling a little nervous at certain things he saw and didn't recognize.

"Ooh! What about this?" Marik said excitedly, lifting up a rather revealing piece of clothing, if you could even call it that…

Ryou and Malik's faces went beat red, the younger hikari squeaking and hiding behind Malik's shoulder. Bakura rolled his eyes, snorting in disgust before turning his attention back to another rack. Marik scowled, but, sensing that nobody approved, he put back the outfit, sighing wistfully.

"Try these on." Bakura murmured a few seconds later, tossing an identical pair of pants and shirts at the two boys. Malik and Ryou caught them, Ryou looking at them quizzically while Malik practically squealed in delight. The tanned hikari pranced into the dressing room, already beginning to strip out of his clothes.

"Ano…" Ryou blushed, looking at the shirt in confusion. He couldn't tell wear his arms or head went! It looked all torn up.

"Need me to help?" Marik grinned suggestively, licking his lips as he eyed the white haired hikari up and down. Ryou squeaked, his face turning even more red than it was before as he held the clothes to his chest self consciously. 

Bakura shook his head and elbowed Marik in the side before walking over to his hikari. He explained how to wear the shirt before gently pushing him in the dressing room, coming back to stand by his fellow yami.

"What was up with that, Bakura?" Marik frowned, rubbing the spot Bakura elbowed him at.

"He's not ready for things like that, it still scares him." Bakura sighed, crossing his arms and leaning against Marik's side.

"You can't let him be scared forever, you know…"

"I know, but what else am I supposed to do?" Bakura spat out, his teeth clenched in helplessness. "He gets frightened so easily."

"Help him to not be afraid." Marik advised, pulling Bakura against him and kissing his lips. "You need to be the one who makes him feel comfortable. Take it slowly, but, don't stop all together, either way he'll be scared at first." Marik felt the white haired tomb robber sigh, and lean more fully on him.

"I'll try."

Both their heads snapped open when one of the dressing room doors snapped open, and Malik walked out, fully dressed in the form fitting clothes, eyeing himself in the mirrors critically.

"Is this okay?" He asked, twirling around a few times, still looking at himself. Receiving silence in return, he blinked, and turned around.

Marik and Bakura were staring, wide eyed and open mouthed at the sexy light, shocked at how good the teen looked in the leather clothes. Marik even had drool dripping down his chin.

"Um, are you okay?" Malik asked slowly, backing away from the rabid looking yamis. The door next to him swung open, and Ryou came out next, blushing and looking uncomfortable. The two yamis paused, and directed their stares towards him, before looking back at Malik, then Ryou again.

"We're definitely buying those." Bakura whispered hoarsely, swallowing a bit difficultly, his eyes still gawking at the teens.

"Can I change back now?" Ryou asked, squirming.

"No!" Bakura and Marik both shouted at the same time, giving each other amused glances before digging through the clothes again. They made the lights try on a few more outfits, liking every one before heading back to the cashier. (Ryou insisting they pay and not steal)

"Ano, Bakura?"

"Yes, Ryou-chan?"

"What's this?" Bakura turned around and glanced at the object held in his light's hand, his eyes going impossibly wide at what it was.

"R-Ryou, put that down…"

"Why? What is it?" Ryou asked innocently, staring at the circular object he held in his hand. "It looks like a ring, but, it's too wide to fit on someone's finger…" Bakura choked, his pale face coloring slightly as he stuttered.

"Bakura? What's taking so long?" Marik grumbled, turning around, when he saw what was in Ryou's hands, he clamped his mouth shut to keep from laughing.

"Nani? Marik, what is it?" Ryou asked again, a sulking pout on his lips. Marik walked up and snatched it out of Ryou's hands, piling it up on the counter along with the other clothes.

"Bakura and I will have fun with it tonight." He smirked, winking at the still stuttering yami.

"Demo, what is it?" Ryou whined. Wanting to know what all the commotion was about, Malik leaned over his yami's shoulder to see what the item was, his eyes also widening.

"Marik! Don't waist money on that…" Malik scolded. He picked it up and placed it on a random shelf, ignoring his sulking yami.

"Malik! What is it?" Ryou asked, tugging on Malik's arm.

"What's what, Ryou?"

"That thing Marik wanted to buy…" Ryou gestured, and Malik's eyes widened.

"Ooh, that thing, well, you see, it's called a-mm!" Malik mumbled, his sentence cut off when Bakura put a hand on his mouth.

"Don't corrupt my hikari, Malik." Bakura scolded, bopping the other light on his head softly. Malik snickered and kissed Bakura's cheek apologetically.

"Sorry, I guess I'll leave you to explain it then." Malik winked, then began walking out the door.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Marik called, scowling at his light's back.

"I have to go to the restroom, Marik. I'll be back in a few minutes!" Malik waved his hand without turning around.

"Wait for me! I have to go too!" Ryou said, jogging to catch up with the other hikari. Malik slowed down until Ryou reached him, before they both made their way out of the store and to the public restrooms, Marik and Bakura frowning worriedly.

"Do you think they'll be alright on their own?" Bakura asked, his eyes still trained on Ryou and Malik until they disappeared in the crowd.

"Yeah, we'll catch up to them after we pay for these…Where is the stupid cashier guy anyways?" Marik growled, looking around for anyone in the store. It was empty.

"Perfect. Just, perfect." Bakura groaned.

* * *

"Maliiiiik!" 

"For the millionth time Ryou! No!" Malik sighed in exasperation at the light's persistence.

"But, I want to know what it is!"

"Bakura asked me not to tell you, so I'm not saying anything!" Malik said firmly, his hands on his hips. They were still in the restroom, standing in front of the sinks and arguing, unaware of a figure that slipped in through the door. 

"Malik!"

"No!"

"Pleeeeeaaaase?"

"Ryou! I'm warning you! I'm not saying any-" Malik's voice suddenly broke off as he stared behind Ryou with undisguised horror.

"Malik?" Ryou asked, his voice trembling. He recognized that look, but, before he could turn around, he felt a soft prick in his neck, and almost instantly the room began to spin. He vaguely remembered someone struggling with Malik as he fell to the floor, he was so tired… So, very, very tired. His eyelids began to slip shut, but, before he passed out, he opened his link with his yami, trying desperately to stay awake and contact him.

:Ba…ku…ra…. :

* * *

::"Ryou?":: Bakura's head snapped up, when he heard the weak call of his other half. ::Ryou? Ryou! ::

"Oh Ra, no, not again." Marik whispered, his eyes wide. "I can't feel him…" Bakura cursed rapidly, dropping the bags with their merchandise in it before running as fast as he could to the bathrooms. He burst through the door and looked around in panic. Ryou and Malik were gone, and Malik's necklace that Marik had given him was lying on the floor, broken.

"This can't be happening." Marik hissed, now standing behind Bakura. He bent down and grasped on to the broken chain, holding it to his chest. "They're unconscious. We won't be able to find them until they wake up."

"I know." Bakura growled, his fists clenching. "What do you want to bet Honda did this?"

"Wouldn't surprise me." Marik spat bitterly, shoving his hand in his pockets before spinning around and walking out the door.

"What do we do first?"

"Inform Isis." Marik said emotionlessly, not looking at Bakura's eyes. "Then call Yami." Bakura paused, and grabbed on to Marik's shoulder, turning him around so they were staring eye to eye. Marik was struggling not to cry.

"Everything will be fine." Bakura whispered, taking a deep breath to try to control his own tears. "We can do this, we just have to stay calm, alright? It was obvious Honda did this. So, we're going to tell Isis, then the Pharaoh, and then head over to his place to pay him a visit." Marik nodded his head silently, blinking back his tears and proceeded to head back to their motorcycles. He would have just called Isis, but they didn't have any money on them to use payphones, and their hikaris were the ones with cell phones.

"Love you…" Marik mumbled, before mounting his bike and speeding out of the parking lot and down the road, not waiting to see of Bakura was following. The white haired yami sighed, and got on his own cycle before following after the other dark, hoping over and over again in his head that their two hikaris were safe.

* * *

"What?!" Isis screeched, her eyes wide in disbelief as she stared at the two sullen yamis in front of her. "They've been kidnapped?!" Marik nodded his head quietly, staring blankly at a spot on the floor. Rishid was pacing around worriedly at the news, mumbling to himself. 

"They left to go to the bathroom, and, then someone knocked them unconscious." Bakura explained, tracing his fingers over the eye of Horus on his ring. "We can't contact them, so they're still out."

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted you!" Isis shouted, "You're probably the ones who got them kidnapped in the first place! You miserable spirits!"

"Isis…" Rishid shook his head, reaching forward to comfort her, but someone had gotten to her before him. Marik tugged Isis down roughly until their faces were inches apart, the woman staring unfazed at the yamis eyes.

"Don't you dare insinuate that I would want this to happen to Malik, or Ryou." He hissed, glowering darkly. "If you weren't my light's sister, I would have killed you for that remark. If we wanted to get rid of our hikaris so bad, do you think we'd be sitting here, worried out of our minds?!" He pushed her back, and crossed his arms. "Malik's already been hurt once by Honda, I don't want it to happen again.

"Honda?" Isis repeated, frowning. "What do you mean?" 

"It's not my place to tell." Marik said, his voice surprisingly quiet. "Just know that he was the one who took Malik and Ryou. I'm sure of it." A knock at the door startled them all out of their thoughts, and Rishid went to answer it, coming back with Yami and Yugi in tow.

"What did you call me here for." Yami grumbled, plopping down on a chair across from Marik and Bakura. "It's almost midnight."

"Ryou and Malik are missing." Bakura snapped, snarling sarcastically. "So sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep for something so trivial." Yami scowled.

"Missing?"

"Honda took them." Marik spoke up. "We're positive." He added when he saw Yami's mouth about to open in protest. The game king frowned.

"Can't you sense them?"

"They're both passed out." Bakura said gruffly, and stood up, heading towards the door. "We need you to show us where the idiot mortal lives."

"Think with your head, Tomb Robber," Yami huffed, staring warningly at the thief. "If Honda was the one who truly took them, he wouldn't take them back to his home. That would be foolish."

"He's right, you know." Marik growled, glaring at Yami. "Then where do you supposed he could have gone?"

"Oh!"

All heads snapped towards the maker of the sound, Yugi standing there looking sheepish.

"I just remembered! Honda owns a cabin a few hours away from here, he could have gone there."

"Brilliant, aibou." Yami beamed, leaning down to kiss Yugi's cheek, missing the longing looks both Marik and Bakura gave them. Bakura shook his head and placed a scowl on his face.

"Enough, let's go."

"We're coming too." Isis stated firmly, her tone indicating she had made her decision. Yami opened his mouth to protest, but shut it when Rishid glared at him.

"Alright." He sighed, defeated. "Show us the way, Yugi-chan."

* * *

Malik groaned, and blinked his eyes open slowly, wincing at the pounding feeling in his head and how sore his limbs were. He shook his head, trying to remember what happened, when he noticed that he was bound, gagged, and suspended from a rope, the tips of his feet barely touching the floor. He gulped, trying not to panic at his situation, and began to struggle out of his bonds. 

"I see you're awake now." A voice said from the doorway.

Malik's head snapped up and he squinted at the figure, trying to make out who it was. His eyes widened in horror when he saw it was Honda, and he gulped nervously, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Hello again, Malik." Honda grinned, stalking across the room over to a table in the corner. "Having fun?"

Malik glared and spat muffled curses at him, struggling harder to escape from his bindings. He was about to contact Marik when Honda walked up to him, holding a small syringe in his hand.

"Don't even think of contacting that psychotic yami of yours." Honda growled warningly. "I can tell when you are, you're eyes zone out and your face goes blank." 

Malik just continued glaring, as if saying Honda couldn't stop him from trying to talk to Marik. Honda smirked, as if guessing what Malik was thinking, and walked behind him. Malik's eyes grew wide when he heard soft whimpers and a dragging noise, trying to scream behind the gag as Honda pulled Ryou into his line of view, dumping him on a couch.

"If I even think you're chatting with Marik, I'll kill him, understand?" Honda said, sneering at the blond teen. "And, trust me, I don't want to hurt Ryou at all." He reached down and began to pet the younger boys hair, gently. Ryou, who was still unconscious, whimpered yet again, and tried to curl into a tight ball. "He's so cute."

"Mmmph!" Malik shouted, thrashing around, not caring that the rope was biting into his skin painfully. He didn't like the look the brunette gave Ryou, he didn't like it at all.

"What's wrong? Is Malik jealous?" Honda mocked, before snarling angrily and stalking over to the blond. "I knew him longer than you have, made more passes at him than I could count, and he didn't even realize it! Then, you come along out of nowhere, and take him away along with his yami and your psycho other half!" He slapped Malik across the face. "None of you deserve him! You're all worthless nobodies!"

Malik winced at the slap, but continued to glower at Honda, lashing out with his feet. Honda stepped back and smirked, once again hitting Malik on the same cheek.

"I'm going to enjoy beating the living shit out of you. Then, once I'm done. I'm going to fuck Ryou. I'm going to prove that only I deserve someone like him!" Honda laughed at the horrified look Malik gave him, and cracked his knuckles. He walked behind Malik and picked up the discarded needle that he set down before he moved Ryou. He calmly pressed it into the blonde's neck, ignoring the weak struggles, and smirked.

Malik's vision suddenly started to become hazy. He felt his muscles go weak and limp, and realized with panic that he couldn't control any of his limbs.

"Being part of a street gang at one time, can have it's advantages, you know." He said happily, throwing the syringe away on the floor. "You wouldn't believe what kind of drugs you can get before they go out on market. This, for example, causes you're body to become immobile, and you're mind all fuzzy. But, at the same time, you are aware of exactly what's going around you." Honda grinned. "You can also feel pain."

Malik barely had time to register the last words Honda said when a fist came crashing into his stomach. He choked behind the gag, his eyes wide. He tried to move, but couldn't even lift a finger, and his head dropped limply until his chin hit his chest.

"How's it feel, Malik?" Honda scoffed, punching him in the face again. "Huh? How's it feel to be treated like shit? Isn't that the way you treated us when you first came here?"

Malik whimpered, Honda's words ringing in his head.

"You deserve this!" Honda kicked him. "You deserve everything I'm doing to you!"

The blond hikari cried out, knowing that what the other teenager was saying was true. He did deserve this…He was worthless. He hurt people, and now it was time to pay the price. As Honda continued his harsh words, Malik's mind slowly started to shut down, sinking deeper into his subconscious, leaving nothing but an empty shell behind.

* * *

"How much longer, twerp?" Bakura snapped for the third time since they started out, gazing at the back of Yugi's head angrily from his seat in the back of the car. 

"Not much further, the cabin is a only a few more miles away."

"Can't you drive any faster, Isis?" Marik prodded anxiously, his fingers fidgeting nervously as he sat squished next to Bakura.

They had taken Isis's car, which only had four seats in it, not including the driver's. So, Yami had agreed, reluctantly, to go back into the puzzle, leaving Yugi up in front and Rishid, Bakura, and Marik to all squish together in the back, Marik preferring to stay as far away from the elder Ishtar as possible.

"I'm going as fast as I can go on this road, Marik." Isis said stonily, eyeing the yami warily in the review mirror. "I want to get to my brother and Ryou just as much as you seem to."

Marik opened his mouth to retort when suddenly his hand shot to his chest, his mouth gaping and eyes opening wide. Bakura grabbed onto the other worriedly, hearing soft whimpers escape from the yami's mouth.

Malik! Something was wrong with his hikari!

"Marik? What's wrong?" He asked urgently, Marik's body beginning to shiver in his arms. He cried out and buried his head into the crook of Bakura's neck, struggling to hold back his tears.

"Malik! It's happening again! J-Just like before, only, only worse!" Marik clenched his eyes shut, feeling waves of mental angst through the link, his soul feeling like it was being torn apart. "Bakura! It hurts! Make it stop!"

Bakura could only hold the suffering dark in his arms and murmur comforting words to him. He felt his heart breaking at each of Marik's wails and whimpers, trying hard not to break down himself.

"Shh, Marik, it's gonna be okay. Malik will be fine…" Bakura murmured, kissing the spiky haired yami's face gently, rubbing soothing circles on his back. "Ryou and Malik will be okay, I know it…" Whether he was saying those words to reassure Marik or himself, he didn't know, just continued to repeat them, closing his eyes rocking back and forth, his lover still quivering in his arms, both unaware of the three shocked pairs of eyes on them.

"We'll get them back…I promise…"

* * *

Chibi B: Oooh! Cliiiiiffie! And I'm probably not gonna update this for a while! ::hides:: Erm, don't hurt me? 

Taski: Idiot.

Chibi B: That I am! Okay, I'll try super, super, SUPER hard to work on this more! I actually finished the last part at, um, 4 in the morning. Hehe. Odd how inspiration strikes when you're sleep deprived..

Anywho, please R&R! I don't want it to seem like I'm begging...(Which I probably am) But, it's really nice to read all your comments! And it reminds me that HA still exists...Hehe...Okies, until next time! Ja ne! 


	10. Chapter 10

Chibi B: ::dead:: x.x

Taski: … Er, yeah, she finally got of her lazy butt and finished this chapter, only, it drained everything out of her. 

Chibi B: …must…finish…fanfics…::gurgle::

Taski: I think she's gonna try to work on ToCN for all those vampire loving fans, but, not sure if she can do it yet. School has been hard on her too, it's quite amusing! 

But, yeah, anyways, here's the next chapter of HA. It's not exactly 6000 words long, it's a thousand short, but, get over it and be happy!

Chibi B: Love…reviewers… 

Taski: Hn. Whatever. Get on with the crappy fic.

Disclaimer: If I lied and said that she did own it, would she get sued? ::hopeful::

* * *

With a grunt, Honda sent another well aimed kick to Malik's already battered and bruised body, which was now lying on the cold floor, unmoving. Honda had beaten him so hard that the rope holding him up the ceiling had broken, causing his bound body to fall on the floor with a dull thud, as Honda continued to beat him mercilessly. Not a sound escaped from the tortured teen's lips.

"Hn. Bastard." Honda cursed, and spat on Malik's prone figure. He casually stepped over the body, ignoring the vast quantities of blood pooling on the ground, and made his way over to where he had set Ryou down earlier. The drug should be wearing off any second now…

"Unnngh."

Honda smirked. Ryou was waking up right on time. The teen's eyes fluttered open, trying to focus themselves on the figure standing above him.

"Malik?" He whimpered, straining his eyes. He heard a low growl and his eyes snapped wide open when he realized who the person was. "H-Honda!? What's going on?"

"Hey there, Ryou-chan." Honda grinned widely, sitting down next to the boy and brushing his hair back gently. Ryou stared at him fearfully, the expression on Honda's face making him nervous. His eyes flickered over the other's body, and they widened when he recognized blood on his hands and shirt.

"Where's Malik?" He asked hoarsely, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Deep down, he knew that was his fellow hikari's blood, but, he didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to… Honda sighed.

"It's just you and me now, Ryou." He grinned. "Malik's not here anymore." Ryou's throat constricted painfully, and he swore his heart stopped dead in his chest. With strength he didn't know he possessed, he pushed Honda away from him and stood up, looking behind the couch frantically, searching for his lover. His eyes widened when they fell upon the motionless figure in the corner of the room, and he screamed.

"MALIK! Oh God, Malik! No! Nonononono!" Ryou wailed, rushing over to the fallen figure, nearly slipping on the pools of blood in his path. "Malik! Please tell me you're okay!" He cried, cradling the teen's head in his lap. Ryou screeched when he was suddenly violently pulled away by his hair, Honda spinning him around to glare at him.

"Now that he's out of my way, it'll be just you and me, Ryou." He pulled the resisting body against his own, leaning down to lick the side of the white haired boy's ear. "Finally, after all this time…" Ryou froze, staring ahead of him in undisguised shock and horror. When Honda began to trail tiny kisses along the side of his neck, he began to struggle to pull away desperately.

"Let go of me! I don't want this, Honda! Let go!" He cried, squirming out of the other's grasp. Honda growled, and cuffed the side of Ryou's head, momentarily stunning him. Using that to his advantage, he dragged the hikari to the couch once again, pushing him down and straddling him while pinning his arms above his head.

"Only I deserve you, Ryou-chan." Honda purred, once again kissing and licking Ryou's neck. "Can't you see that? Why won't you understand? We're perfect for each other!"

"No!" Ryou sobbed, thrashing frantically. "I hate you! Let me go! I have to help Malik! Please I-Ahhh!" Ryou cried out in pain when Honda bit down on Ryou's shoulder, growling lightly.

"I don't want to ever hear that little prick's name again, understand?" He spat hatefully. "He's as good as dead. And even if he does somehow survive, he won't ever be the same mentally! So, you might as well except the fact he's gone!"

Ryou sobbed and shook his head in denial, tears falling freely down his face. Malik wasn't dead! He couldn't be, not after all they went through…Not like this!

Ryou? Ra, hikari, please answer me! Ryou?!

Bakura! Ryou sobbed back, somewhat hysterically. Malik! He's- A sharp slap to his face brought the hikari back to reality. Honda glared at him threateningly.

"Don't even think about talking to that bastard yami of yours!" He warned, bringing one of his hands down from pinning Ryou's arms up to slither up Ryou's shirt. "I don't want him interrupting us." Ryou let loose another desperate sob, struggling to get as far away from Honda's hand as he could, whimpering when the other just slapped him again. "Don't make this difficult." He hissed, and Ryou went limp in defeat, staring tearfully at the ceiling. Why? Why did this have to happen again? Why him?

Why was it always him?

* * *

"Hurry the hell up!" Bakura raved, the short conversation he had with his light frightening him more than he wanted to admit.

"It's right up here, Bakura." Yugi said, pointing to his right. "See that driveway? That's it!"

Isis turned the car sharply, then hit her brakes. Bakura shot out of the car, Marik following behind him, a little bit slower since he was still suffering from earlier, followed by Rishid, Isis, and Yami, who had taken control of Yugi the minute he stepped out of the car.

Bakura ran up the porch steps and slammed open the front door and ran inside, freezing at the sight he was presented with. His eyes wide in horror.

An almost fully unclothed, sobbing Ryou lay underneath an equally as undressed Honda, the brunette's hands currently tugging on Ryou's jeans, an indecent grin on his face. Ryou turned, hearing the noise, and let out another choked sob as his eyes met his yami's, before he closed them, too ashamed to do anything else.

Bakura saw red.

"GET THE HELL OFF OF HIM!" He roared, racing over and punching Honda with such force his body flew off over the back of the sofa. He continued throwing various punches and kicks at the other, until he was pulled away by two strong hands. "Let me go! I'll kill him! He hurt, Ryou! He touched my hikari!!!"

"Settle down, Bakura! You're not helping Ryou at all!" Yami commanded, a sharp tone to his voice. He looked at Honda, disappointment and betrayal shining in his eyes, before he turned his attention back to a more calmed down tomb robber.

Bakura shrugged himself out of Yami's grip and kneeled down next to his crying light, gently brushing back his hair.

"Ryou, it's okay, koibito. We'll get you and Malik out of here. It'll be okay…"

"Malik…" Ryou whimpered weakly, staring at his yami pleadingly. "M-Malik…" Bakura's head snapped up, and he looked around for Marik, finding him on his hands and knees in the corner. It was then he caught the unmistakable scent of blood.

"Oh by the gods! Brother!" Isis screamed, rushing over to where Marik lay with his light's head balanced on his lap. "Someone call an ambulance! Please!" Isis cried frantically, reaching over to check for a pulse, but was shoved away viciously.

Two piercing lavender eyes glared back at her coldly, snarling warningly at the woman as he held his precious hikari close to his chest. Malik was fine…His little light was okay, he was just resting…Just resting…

Who was he kidding? His light's life was slowly slipping away in his arms, and he didn't know what to do, couldn't think straight. He could only stare in fascination at the blood on his hands, and all over Malik's body.

"Marik."

His head snapped up to meet Bakura's concerned face.

"Heal him." Bakura said gently. "With the Rod. Hurry." Marik nodded his head, coming back to reality and quickly brought his Millenium Item out from his back pocket. He held the item against Malik's forehead, and closed his eyes, chanting a few words. There was a bright glow, then a dull thud as the Rod slipped out from Marik's fingers and on to the floor next to Marik, who had passed out from the exhaustion of healing all of his light's physical wounds.

Bakura smiled sadly at the two blonde's unconscious forms before heading back to Ryou, who was still curled up on the couch.

"Hikari…"

"Take me home." Ryou whimpered, his eyes clamped shut, tears spilling out relentlessly. "Onegai. Take me home…"

"Alright, Ryou." Bakura choked, feeling a few of his light's depressing thoughts through his link. "But first." He snarled, turning to face Honda once again. "I'm sending you into the deepest pits of the Shadow Realm! Where you'll spend eternity there, tortured by duel monsters of every kind!"

"What?! No!" Honda shouted frantically, turning his eyes towards Yami. "You can't let him do this to me, Yugi! Yami!" The pharaoh just shook his head and looked away sadly. He knew that it had to be done. Plus, he couldn't deny fact that Honda deserved much more than torture for hurting two hikaris like he did.

Bakura's ring began to glow, and he glowered fiercely at Honda, his palm stretched out.

"Be gone!" He shouted, and there was a scream as Honda's soul was sent into the other dimension, his body being discarded to the shadows as well. Silence blanketed over the room, only broken by Ryou's soft sniffles and sobs and Isis's cries of grief over her brother's former condition.

"Well, I think it's time for us to head home." Yami said quietly, breaking the silence.

"Agreed." Bakura sighed softly, and walked back over to his hikari. "Ryou-chan? You ready to leave?" His heart nearly shattered as Ryou's grief stricken face rose to meet his own.

"Is M-Malik okay?"

"He'll be fine after a few days rest, koi." Bakura assured, leaning down and gently grabbing hold of Ryou's hand. "Why don't you go into the Ring and rest? I'll get us home safely, okay?"

Ryou nodded his head, too tired to argue, and retreated back into the Millenium Ring, where he curled up in his soul room, knowing that it was the only place that made him feel completely safe.

"Let's go, Pharaoh." Bakura muttered, now controlling his light's body. "Rishid, do me a favor and grab Malik?" Rishid nodded his head compliantly and bent down to gently life his brother's body into his arms without any trouble. Marik, however, was heavier than Malik, so Bakura had a tough time carrying him back out to the car.

He placed the yami on his lap, to once again save space, as Rishid slid in with Malik as well. This time, Yami stayed in control of Yugi's body, and sat in the front seat, calmly waiting for Isis to start the car.

"Bakura," Isis asked, gaining the white haired yami's attention. "Will my brother be okay?"

He sighed, and glanced over at the said light, reaching a hand out to brush back the other's hair.

"I can't say yet, Isis. Honda's words hurt him so bad last time, I don't know how long it will take for him to recover…"

"You and Marik keep saying that Honda attacked him before, when did this happen?" Isis demanded, pulling out of the cabin's driveway and steering back towards home. Bakura sighed and took a deep breath, preparing to explain everything to the elder sister.

"It happened the day before you came to pick him up…"

* * *

"And that's that." Bakura finished tiredly, resting his head against Marik's hair, inhaling the spicy scent of the other yami. "Hopefully, Malik won't react as bad as last time."

Isis was silent, focusing on the road and her thoughts. Her little brother had been hurt by that man? She wouldn't have been able to tell with how happy he had been when the three lovers were at their house. She glanced in her review mirror to catch Bakura gazing longingly at Malik, their hands entwined, his thumb caressing them softly.

A groan pierced the sudden silence that fell over the room, and Bakura brightened considerably as Marik opened his eyes, peering up at him dazedly.

"Hey, Marikky-chan." Bakura choked, a relieved smile on his face. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." Marik answered gruffly, and surprised Bakura by burying his head in his neck. "How's Ryou?"

"Sleeping." Bakura stroked Marik's back, trying to relax him. Marik lifted his head up to look at his lighter half, swallowing down a cry when he noticed that Malik had yet to open his eyes.

"How long have I been out?" Marik questioned, slumping back into Bakura's welcoming arms.

"Just an hour or so. We'll drop Yugi and Yami off first, then go back to our house." Isis informed. Marik grunted in acknowledgement, and groaned. He was still tired out from using his energy to heal Malik, and needed rest.

"Kura? I'm going back in the Rod, okay?" Marik said, not waiting for an answer and disappearing into his Millenium Item.

Bakura sighed at the emptiness in his arms, and leaned back further in his seat, his hand still connected to Malik's. He brought the limb up to his lips, and kissed it lightly.

"You wake up soon, okay Malik?" he whispered, closing his eyes and leaning his head on Malik's shoulder.

"Wake me up when we get back." Bakura muttered, before falling into his own troublesome sleep.

* * *

"Bakura…"

Someone nudged his shoulder gently, and he frowned, swatting away at the prodding hand with irritation.

"Bakura, wake up!"

Grumbling, Bakura finally opened his eyes and blinked at Isis's face, pushing her away none too gently.

"What do you want?" He snapped.

"I need you to help carry Malik inside, he keeps thrashing around in his sleep."

"Thrashing?" Bakura perked up, feeling his heart begin to beat a little faster as he glanced at the teen next to him. "Really?"

"Yes," Isis looked at Bakura weirdly, "and this is a good thing, why?" 

"Because last time he was totally unresponsive, and he would barely move." Bakura informed, slipping out of the car and around to the other side to help his lover out.

As he gently slipped his arms under Malik's body, the blond hikari began to whimper and move away, kicking and swatting at Bakura's arms, making the yami frown.

"Shhh, Malik..It's okay, you're safe now." Bakura cooed, slowly lifting him up in his arms, trying to calm down the unconscious teen by whispering soft words in his ear. "Shh…I love you, everything's alright now, you're safe, shh… " Bakura murmured, following an amazed Rishid and Isis to the front door. He tiptoed inside, and up the stairs, still murmuring sweet words into Malik's ear before depositing him on his bed.

Malik groaned, and rolled over, his eyes twitching in his sleep. Bakura couldn't help but smile and run his fingers through the Egyptians gold locks. A flash of light informed him that Marik had exited the Millenium Rod, and was now standing behind him.

"You feel better?" Bakura asked, keeping his voice down so as not to arouse the resting figure on the bed. Marik stood next to Bakura and nodded silently, reaching over to grab the other dark's wrist.

"Go check on Ryou. I'll stay here with my light." Marik whispered, not looking directly into the other's eyes. Bakura sighed, frowning thoughtfully. He really should be checking on Ryou…he hadn't heard a word from him since he left to his soul room. 

"Thanks, koi." Bakura smiled, and kissed Marik's cheek, before sitting on the floor Indian style, leaning his back against the bed as he concentrated on getting to his soul room.

Marik sighed as there was a flash of light, and Bakura's body lay limply on the floor, his eyes shut as if he were sleeping. He brushed away the white bangs lovingly, before placing a chaste, warm kiss to the others forehead.

Hearing a groan, he froze, and turned to the bed. Malik was moving! And he made sounds! Marik concluded that that was definitely a good sign.

"You're safe now, hikari." Marik murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed and lacing his hand with Malik's. "You're safe. I won't let anyone hurt you." Malik let out another soft whimper, and tightened his grip on Marik's hand, making the older yami smile happily.

"Do you think he'll be alright?"

Marik's head snapped to the doorway in surprise, not hearing anyone there before. His eyes met Isis's and he snorted, turning his attention back to his light.

"He'll be fine. He's strong." He answered proudly, a small smile on his face.

"You'll call me when he wakes up, right?" Isis asked, watching the way Marik seemed to treat her brother as if he were so fragile that he'd break.

"Hn. You actually trust me enough to leave me alone with him?" Marik sneered sarcastically, still keeping his voice low.

"Yes. I do." Isis sighed, noting Marik's shocked look as he spun around to look at her. "But I swear, if you hurt him in any way…"

"I won't." Marik answered quickly, looking back down at his life. "Malik is my whole world."

"Good." Isis smiled. "And you're his world as well." With that said, she closed the door behind her, leaving yami and hikari alone in the room, and let out a long sigh.

"Do you trust him now?"

Isis jumped, and whirled around to face her adoptive brother.

"Rishid! Don't frighten me like that." She paused, "And no, I don't trust him completely, I don't think I ever will, but, I will tolerate him. He makes Malik happy." Rishid smiled.

"And Master Malik's happiness is important."

Isis's lips twitched up into a half grin.

"Yes. Malik's happiness is _very, _very important."

* * *

"Ryou? Can I come in?" Bakura called gently, standing on the other side of Ryou's soul room, his hand rapping lightly on the door. "Ryou?"

The door opened with a soft click, and Bakura carefully stepped into his light's room, immediately spotting Ryou curled up in the corner, his face buried into his knees. He rushed over to him and knelt down, being careful not to startle him too much.

"Ryou-chan?"

The hikari peeked out hesitantly, showing his puffed up eyes. He sniffled and launched into Bakura's arms, his body quaking with barely suppressed sobs.

The yami barely had time to catch his crying light, surprised out of his mind that Ryou was actually willing to let him touch him. Bakura shook all those thoughts out of his head, now concerned only with Ryou.

"Shhh, hikari," Bakura whispered soothingly, stroking Ryou's snow white hair lovingly. "Everything's okay now, everything's okay…"

Ryou's sobs seemed to only be growing in force as he clutched to Bakura's shirt, wailing miserably and making Bakura struggle to stay calm himself.

"Ryou-"

"Why me, yami?" Ryou interrupted, his voice hoarse and choked with tears. "Why did this have to happen to me? D-Did I do something wrong? Am I being punished?"

"No, Ryou. You didn't do anything wrong…" Bakura shook his head and squeezed him gently, his eyes clenched shut in agony over what his hikari was thinking. "None of this was your fault."

"But why me?" Ryou whispered, his sobs finally ceasing, but tears still trailed endlessly down his face.

"I don't know, Ryou." Bakura choked, his hands now shaking as they rubbed soothing patterns up and down the teen's back. "But, it's over now. You're safe, he didn't fully…"

"I know…" Ryou sniffed, nuzzling against Bakura's chest. "Is he…?"

"Gone. Forever." Bakura growled.

"And Malik?" Ryou asked quickly, remembering the battered and bruised body of his other lover. "Is he okay?"

"Marik healed him," Bakura murmured, then hesitated, not sure what else to tell his light.

"What about mentally?" Ryou questioned worriedly, his grip on his darker half's shirt tightening. Bakura sighed.

"It's difficult to say, but, he was moving around and making sounds, so, I'm guessing he'll be fine." Ryou let out a breath of relief and leaned more fully into Bakura's arms.

"How's Marik handing this?"

Bakura shrugged. 

"I'm not sure, he's been pretty quiet…" He glanced down at Ryou. "You ready to leave?" He felt Ryou nod his head, and smiled. "Alright. I'll meet you outside. Love you." He kissed Ryou's forehead before the teen disappeared back to his body, Bakura following afterwards.

* * *

Marik's eyes darted to Bakura's body when the other twitched slightly, and brown eyes opened to reveal it was Ryou who had gone back to his body. After another flash of light, Bakura appeared as well, and helped his light up. Marik strained a smile when Ryou glanced at him, and was greeted with the same thing, before Ryou rushed into his arms, kissing Marik's face desperately. Marik's calm façade slowly broke apart, until he tightened his hold on the teen, his eyes clenched shut. 

Whispered confessions of love and comfort were repeated constantly as the two kissed and held each other closely, knowing each of them needed to be comforted.

Bakura joined the two, wrapping his arms around both of them and murmuring words of reassurance.

"You feeling alright, Ryou?" Marik whispered hoarsely, not letting loose his hold on the fragile boy. Ryou nodded his head against the other's chest, one of his hands clenching his yami's who was holding both of them together against his chest.

"Yes."

"I'm glad." Marik chuckled humorlessly, and pulled away from the two white-haired teens, plopping down on the bed next to Malik, his hand running through the light's hair.

"Any sign of consciousness at all?" Bakura asked, pulling up a chair to the side of the bed, watching the blond hikari's face carefully. Ryou sat down on the floor, and tentatively rested his head on his yami's lap, making the dark smile and stroke Ryou's silvery white hair lovingly.

"Actually, yes." Marik answered, shocking both of them. "I can sense a lot of mental activity, and he keeps moving around in his sleep."

"Well, that has to be a good sign." Bakura smiled, letting out a sigh of relief, Ryou murmuring the same thing.

"It is." Marik confirmed. He glanced over at Ryou once again, noting a bit of blood on the collar of his shirt. "Ryou? You're bleeding…"

"Hm?" Ryou blinking, tilting his head to the side and looking down at what Marik was pointing to, wincing as it brought up unpleasant memories. He tugged the shirt up self consciously, not meeting the other's eyes.

"Ryou…" Bakura murmured, his brows furrowing in concern. He gently pried Ryou's hand away from the clothing, and tugged it down, biting back a string of curses at what he saw.

Bites and bruises littered Ryou's shoulder and neck. And Bakura could only guess there were equal amounts of marks on the hikari's other side. He growled, and placed his palm over the blemishes healing them quickly before moving to the other side.

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt…?" Bakura snapped, his voice soft despite the hurt tone. "I could have healed you…"

"I…" Ryou stuttered, turning his head away from his yami. "I didn't want you to see…" He finished, blushing shamefully, and started to scoot back away from the chair Bakura was still sitting on. Bakura's eyes softened and he grabbed on to Ryou's arm, pulling him up on his lap.

Marik gazed at them somewhat longingly, and turned back to his own light, silently pleading with him to wake up. He stiffened in surprise when Malik murmured something, his eyes twitching open.

"Malik!"

Marik's cry caught Ryou and Bakura's attention, and the two peeked over at the bed, letting out twin cries of shock when Malik fully opened his eyes, blinking slowly at the ceiling. There was something wrong though…

His eyes were blank.

"Hikari?" Marik grasped his lighter half's hand, his voice trembling with worry. Malik flinched and blinked once again, cocking his head to the side.

"Why are the lights off?" He asked hoarsely. "Wh-Where am I?

"Malik…" Ryou said softly, his eyes betraying his worry. "Th-The lights are on…And, you're at your house."

"Ryou? What are you doing here?" The scratchy voice asked again. Malik licked his dried lips, wincing when he swallowed. Ryou looked at him confusedly, wondering why Malik would ask something like that.

"I was worried about you, of course." He said, an uneasy feeling making him feel more and more anxious. 

"We were all worried." Bakura spoke up, and frowned when Malik stiffened on the bed, his eyes wide.

"Yami B-Bakura?"

"Yeah…" He scowled when Malik seemed to start shaking, his eyes still dull.

"Wh-Who's holding my hand?" He asked, as if almost afraid of the answer. "I-Isis?"

"No, Malik, can't you see me?" Marik looked worried, and then hurt when as soon as he finished his sentence Malik jumped away from him, slamming into the side of the wall farthest away from everyone.

"What's going on?" He demanded, his body tense and alert. "What happened? Why can't I see anything?"

"Malik! Calm down!" Ryou pleaded, not wanting the other to hurt himself.

"Why are they here, Ryou?" Malik asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "What do you mean? They're here because they were worried about you, like me! Honda hurt you so badly…" 

"Honda?" Malik blinked, momentarily stunned. "I thought Marik did this."

Marik looked heartbroken at his light's confession, turning to look at Bakura hopelessly.

"What's wrong with him?"

Bakura glanced over at Marik, then to the blond haired hikari on the bed, his face grim. He had a suspicion on what was up.

"Malik? What was the last thing you remember?" 

The light frowned, eyeing where he thought the voice was coming from, his gaze wary.

"Marik beating me to a bloody pulp again."

"Malik, he didn't do this to you, Honda did! Remember?" Ryou begged, reaching out to palm Malik's cheek, letting his hand drop when the other flinched away.

"I don't remember Honda at all!" Malik screamed, scooting back further. "Someone turn on the lights, I'm sick of not being able to see anyone!"

"The lights are on, hikari." Marik mumbled, "I'm going to get Isis and Rishid." He stood up quickly and rushed out of the room to call up the two older siblings.

"Malik, settle down, it's okay." Bakura tried as hard as he could to try to calm Malik, who now seemed to be on the verge of hyperventilating. 

"I'm blind." He gasped, his breathing erratic, his dull lavender eyes moving around frantically. "I'm fucking _blind_!"

"Malik…" Ryou muttered, tears spilling out of his eyes. "It's going to be alright…"

"No it's not! I'm blind, and I can't seem to remember what happened to me! I'm anything but alright right now, Ryou!"

"Don't yell at him, we're only trying to help!" Bakura snapped, reaching over to pull Malik away from the wall.

"No! Let me go! Don't touch me!" Malik screamed, thrashing around in Bakura's grasp. "Let go of me!"

"Malik! Settle down!" A new voice cried out, making Malik go limp in the former thief's grasp.

"Neesan?"

"Oh Ra, Malik, what happened to your eyes?" Isis gaped, rushing to her brother's side, telling Bakura to release him.

"I can't see anything." Malik sniffed, his eyes filling with tears as he tried to stare up at where he thought his sister was standing.

"We need to get him to a doctor." Isis muttered, petting Malik's hair gently to calm him down.

"He doesn't remember Honda taking him." Marik spoke up, making the light tense in his elder siblings arms once again. "He thinks I did this to him."

"Malik, is this true?" Isis questioned, "Do you think he did this to you?"

"The last thing I remember was coming home late and him hurting me." Malik sniffled, burying into Isis's arms. Across the room, Marik paled, and looked as if he were in shock.

"What is it?" Bakura asked urgently.

"That, that happened two weeks ago." Marik whispered. "He was shopping, and didn't come back till around eleven, and I…" He trailed off, and turned his head away shamefully.

"Two weeks ago?" Malik whimpered, shaking his head. "What do you mean? It just happened a few hours ago!"

"Malik, hush." Isis soothed, then turned to Rishid who was standing in the doorway and looking at Malik worriedly. "Call the doctor, make an appointment later on, it's too early in the morning for this, and everyone needs to rest."

"Of course." Rishid said, hurrying downstairs to phone their physician. Isis turned back to her brother, carefully lying him down on the bed.

"Get some rest, I'll wake you up when it's time to leave." She murmured, drawing the blankets over him and kissing his forehead lovingly. Malik let loose another soft sniffle, and curled up facing the wall away from everyone, pulling the covers up over his head.

"Night, Malik-kun." Ryou said quietly before he left the room, Bakura echoing his words.

"Goodnight, hikari. Rest well." Marik whispered, as he too left the room, even more worried than before of his light's health.

Malik sighed in relief when the door finally shut, and slowly let the tears trail down his face. He was blind now, and had apparently lost part of his memory, something that shocked him deeply. Not only that, but Marik and Bakura were both acting weird. They seemed, dare he say it, _nice_, to him. Ryou sounded extremely worried about him too. What could have happened those two weeks that was so important as to change Marik and Bakura's behavior? It didn't make any sense.

He stiffened when he heard the door being pushed open again, and pretended like he was sleeping, slowing his breaths down and keeping his eyes closed.

He heard soft footsteps slowly making their way to his bed, and deep breathing.

"Malik…" 

The hikari could barely contain his shock, and fear. It was his yami!

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you…I couldn't protect you from that bastard…"

Malik could hear the sadness in his darker half's voice, and almost fainted when a hand brushed against his hair gently.

"Get better soon, hikari. I love you." And with that, the dark placed a feather light kiss on Malik's cheek, before leaving the room just as quickly and softly as he entered. Once the door had shut, Malik sat bolt upright in bed, a hand palming his cheek in complete shock. Marik had kissed him! And, said he loved him too! 

Flopping back down on the mattress, his mind spinning, Malik was now more resolute than ever to recover his lost memories. With determined thoughts running through his mind, the blond haired hikari fell into a troubling sleep, filled with odd dreams of Honda and his yami, and a gleaming syringe…

* * *

Chibi B: Mrf…it's done! ::cries happily:: Must start next chapter…x.x

Taski: I couldn't decide whether to make Malik loose his memories, or his eyesight, so, I decided on both. ::grin:: Chib's isn't going to get started on the next chapter for a while, despite what she thinks. She's got a total blank after this.

Chibi B: Nuuuuu! A block!

Taski: Yeah. So, we're gonna switch back to ToCN again, hopefully.

Chibi B: I love you reviewers! You're my lifeblood!

R&R


	11. Chapter 11

Chibi B: Ohmygoodness...This fanfic LIVES! o.o

I am so sorry for the LONG wait:bows: I was busy, and then had no ideas for this...and, school and...I'm just a horrible authoress!

Taski: Yes. Yes you are.

Chibi B: Anyways...Here's the next chapter! But, as always...Here's a few reminders and notes...

I did send out the lemon for ToCN for those who wanted it..but there's still a few people who wrote their e-mail in and it didn't show up...so, if you still haven't gotten it yet - check your old review.

If your e-mail DID show up, then I just haven't gotten around to sending it to you yet and will try later today (Since I'm sick from school right now...) Or possibly tomorrow.

Okay, well...THANK YOU REVIEWERS:cries: I never thought I'd have this many! It's like, an impossible dream come true! I wouldn't be this far without you...Thanks!

Disclaimer: Don't own. Leave me alone!

* * *

Closing the door softly behind him, Marik trudged towards the bed where Bakura and Ryou were already sleeping, the younger hikari's face stained with tears and snuggled protectively in Bakura's arms.

He choked back a whimper, and crawled onto the bed with them, jumping when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Marik…" Bakura whispered, scooting off to the side and separating him from his hikari. "Lay down here." He tugged the unresisting yami in between him and Ryou, wrapping his arm around the other's waist and kissing his cheek.

"Will he be alright, Bakura?" Marik asked, avoiding eye contact with the yami and opting to stare at the ceiling instead. Bakura sighed.

"I don't know, Marik. You should have been able to heal all of his physical wounds, so Malik shouldn't be blind unless it was caused by something else."

"But what else could it be?"

"I don't have a clue, Marik." Bakura admitted, resting his cheek on the other's chest. "We'll find out later today when we take him to the doctors."

"Alright…"

"I love you, Marik."

"Love you too, Kura."

* * *

"Malik, wake up, it's time for your appointment…" Isis called gently, shaking her brother's shoulder. Malik frowned in his sleep, and rolled over still mumbling to himself. "Malik…"

"No!" Malik bolted upright, looking around frantically even though he couldn't see. Isis stepped back, startled at the teen's shout, and tried to calm him down.

"Malik? It's Isis…"

"Neesan?" Malik let out a shaky breath, lifting a hand to brush away his sweaty golden locks from his forehead.

"It's almost time to leave for your appointment." She said softly, patting his head. "Why don't you take a shower?"

"Okay…" Malik sighed, then attempted to stand up, only to trip over the bed sheets tangled in his legs. He hit the ground with a startled yelp, wincing as his right wrist took most of the fall.

Not even two seconds later, he heard feet pounding up the stairs and someone crashing into his room.

"Malik? Are you okay?" Ryou gasped, rushing over to help the other hikari up.

"I'm fine, I just tripped…" He muttered, wishing he could see where he was going. "I'm off to take a shower."

"When you can't even see what you're doing?" Marik's voice registered through Malik's mind, and the younger teen tensed somewhat warily. Sensing his yami's hurt, the blond light recalled what had happened before he fell asleep, and tried his hardest to calm down.

"I'll manage." He mumbled, though, in his mind he was doubtful of that.

"Why don't you have Marik come with you, to help?" Bakura suggested, blinking when half the room began blushing. "What?"

"It's actually a good idea," Ryou mused, coughing lightly. Malik's head snapped towards him, his eyes wide and panicky. What was Ryou thinking! "He'll just stay in the bathroom and hand you everything you need."

"I agree." Marik nodded, trying to keep his perverted thoughts at bay. "That way, I'll be there if you hurt yourself."

"I'll be fine…" Malik protested, managing to stand up without tripping. "Really…"

"No you won't Malik," Isis sighed, grabbing hold of her brother's arm to keep him steady. "Marik will go in with you."

"B-But..!" Malik stammered, unbelieving that his own sister, who hated Marik, actually agreed.

"No buts, Malik." Isis said sternly, then turned to Marik. "Take good care of him. And if I hear that you hurt him…"

"I won't." Marik snapped, gently taking a hold of Malik's shoulder and steering him towards one of the many bathrooms in the house. The hikari flinched, but followed his darker half compliantly, not wanting to cause any trouble.

Once the two were in the room, Marik sat Malik down on the toilet seat, and started up the shower, waiting for it to warm up to a comfortable temperature.

The hikari started to fidget uncomfortably, his heart beating frantically in his chest. He was alone in a room with his yami, the man who had abused him for months, about to take a shower…He couldn't feel more nervous than this.

"It's ready." Marik said after checking the temperature of the water, watching as his light jumped at the words. "Go ahead and undress."

"U-Umm…" Malik stuttered, his face a bright red. Marik was forcing him to strip while watching!

"Oh! I'll turn around." The yami smiled sheepishly, forgetting how uneasy his light was at the moment. "I won't look. Promise."

"…"

"Are you done yet, hikari?" Marik asked, having been staring at the wall for the past five minutes.

"Have you turned around yet?" Malik asked back, somewhat meekly. He hadn't even started taking his clothes off.

"Yes, Malik. I've been staring at the wall the whole time." The yami sighed, but brightened up when he heard the rustle of clothing. It took everything he had to resist the urge to take a peak, but knew that if he did, Malik wouldn't forgive him for a very, very long time.

Malik paused at his boxers, and stood up, using the wall for balance. He listened for the sound of running water, and felt his way over to the shower curtain, sighing in relief. He slipped off his boxers, and went in quickly before yelping at the sudden hot temperature.

"What's wrong?" Marik spun around at the yelp to find Malik already in the shower, but huddled against the wall. "Malik?"

"Too hot!" The teen whimpered, and Marik turned the knobs as fast as he could.

"I'm sorry, Malik! I thought that it was fine…"

"It's, okay." Malik shuddered, and took a deep breath before stepping back under the spray of water, sighing in relief when it didn't scald his skin. He felt a pair of eyes on him and flinched. "Uh, Marik?"

"Hmm?" The yami mumbled, in a trance. When he went to fix the water, he caught a good sight of his lighter half without clothes, and couldn't seem to pull his eyes away.

"Could you, hand me the shampoo?"

"Mmmhmm…"

"…Are you staring at me?"

"Mmmm."

"…" Malik felt his face light up and he squeaked before dropping on the shower floor and curling into a ball. What was _wrong_ with his dark side!

"Hmm…Malik?" Marik blinked at his light before his eyes widened in realization and he glanced away. "Sorry, Mal-chan, I won't look anymore."

"M-Mal-chan?" Malik whimpered, but uncurled from his ball when he no longer felt the other's eyes on him. He felt something nudge his hand, and took hold of it curiously, guessing it was the shampoo bottle he had asked for earlier. "Arigatou…"

"Uh-huh. Just tell me if you need something, I'll get it." Marik said, his voice devoid of any emotion. Malik flinched, but slowly stood up and began applying the substance to his hair. He quickly rinsed it out, and asked for the conditioner next, then the soap.

"Um, I'm done…" Malik muttered. "Could you, uh, hand me a towel please?"

"Sure, hold on." Marik reached inside the shower and turned the water off, careful not to look at the beautiful blond in front of him before going into the cupboard and pulling out a peach colored towel.

"Thanks…" Malik mumbled once Marik handed him the towel. He dried his body off as fast as he could before working on his hair. He wrapped the cloth around his waist, and felt alongside the wall for a way to step out of the shower so he couldn't get hurt.

Marik noticed what the other was doing, and quickly reached a hand out to steady him, carefully showing him where to step. He handed the teen a bathrobe, turning around so Malik could change.

The hikari was beginning to get nervous with all the silence. Was Marik mad at him?

"Ready?"

His yami's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he put on his robe before muttering he was finished.

"You okay?" Marik asked, watching his light carefully as the other teen shied away.

"Yes…"

"…Do I really make you that uncomfortable?" Marik asked, a crestfallen expression on his face as he stared longingly at his light.

Malik remained silent, not knowing how to answer. Yes, he was still afraid of Marik. Who wouldn't be? But, his yami's presence also helped calm his nerves, and he was finding himself wishing for Marik to stay by his side.

Marik took the silence as rejection, and bit his lip as he gently took hold of Malik's arm to lead him out of the bathroom. Bakura and Ryou were still there, sitting on the tanned teen's bed and staring at them curiously.

"Bakura and Ryou will help you get dressed," Marik said softly, "I'll go downstairs for a bit."

Malik wanted to say something, anything, to make the other stay, but was too late. Marik had already made it out the door. He stood there, his arms hanging by his sides in a depressed and frustrated manor.

"Malik?" Ryou asked softly, noticing the hikari's forlorn expression. "You okay?"

"Yeah, Ryou…I'm fine." Malik lied, tugging his bathrobe closer to himself. "Could you hand me some clothes, please?" Ryou blinked and stood up, rummaging through Malik's drawers.

"Get him something comfortable to wear, hikari." Bakura muttered, standing up as well and walking to the door. "I'm going down to see Marik, alright?"

"Alright, Bakura." Ryou replied, now digging through the closet. Bakura headed towards the door, and accidentally brushed against Malik on the way. The hikari stiffened, and then relaxed once he sensed Bakura further away from him, missing the darker half's hurt look.

"Ryou?" He muttered, carefully making his way towards the bed and sitting down. "Just grab anything, okay?"

"How about a sweat outfit? That should be comfortable enough, right?" Ryou asked, pulling out a lilac colored outfit.

"That's fine." Malik answered, holding out his hands. Ryou gave him the clothes, then blushed and turned around when the other began to change.

"Marik?" Bakura called, peeking around the corner and into the living room, finding blond haired dark hunched over on the couch. He walked over and sat down next to the yami, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Marik snorted and roughly shrugged Bakura's hand off, turning to look out the window. Bakura sighed, and grabbed onto the other's hand, only to have the same thing happen.

"Go away, Bakura."

"Not till you tell me what the hell is wrong with you!" Bakura hissed, forcing Marik to look at him.

"Bakura, I'm serious. I just need to be alone for a while, okay? Don't mess with me right now…"

"Is that a threat, Ishtar?" The previous thief glared, grinding his teeth in anger. "I know you're upset, but Ryou and I need you right now…Malik needs you."

"Well, tell me then, Bakura, how the hell would you feel if Ryou only remembered the times you beat him, huh?" Marik shouted, pushing the other off of him to stand up. "How would you feel if the only thing Ryou remembered was about how you _raped _him?"

Hearing multiple gasps behind them, the two spun around to see the two hikaris with Isis and Rishid staring at them, shocked. Ryou flinched, and stared at the wall, avoiding eye contact. He heard a choked yell, then the slamming of a door and looked up just in time to see Bakura running down the driveway and into the street.

"Bakura!" He yelled worriedly, and tried to get through Isis and Rishid, but the two blocked his way. "Let me go! I have to go get him!"

"Just let him go, Ryou." Isis said calmly. "He's not welcome back in this house anyways."

"What? Wh-Why?" Ryou shook his head frantically, and continued to struggle. "No! I have to go find my yami! Please…" He broke off sobbing and finally managed to get by Isis, running to Marik. "Why did you say that to him? He didn't mean for it to happen! How could you hurt him like that!" Ryou cried, hugging onto Marik's arm.

"Ryou…" Marik muttered, falling down to his knees with Ryou in his arms. "Shit…I'm sorry Ryou-chan…I'm sorry."

"Go find him!" Ryou begged, his eyes wide and panicked. "You have to go find him, Marik!"

"Shh, settle down, Ry-chan…I'll go find him." Marik soothed, and stood up, dragging Ryou with him. "Listen to me, Ryou, okay? I need you to calm down and help Isis and Rishid with Malik. Can you do that for me?" He couldn't even bring his eyes up to his own hikari's, and just looked at Ryou's tear filled eyes.

"Y-Yes…" Ryou hiccupped softly and rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. "Go find him…please?"

"I will." Marik forced a smile and stood up, walking out the door without looking back. He could barely stand the guilt he felt over what he said to Bakura, he knew that the other was hurting immensely. Why did he always have to lose control over his mouth?

Now sprinting in the direction Bakura ran off in, he caught site of a flash of silver heading towards a public lake and followed it, hoping it really was Bakura and not some old person wandering around.

He stopped abruptly when he saw that it was in fact, Bakura; the other dark had curled underneath the base of a tree, oblivious to his follower. Gathering what little courage he had, he quietly made his way over to the yami.

* * *

"Ryou, are you okay?" Malik asked worriedly, he was still standing at the base of the stairs, one hand on the wall for balance. His blank eyes scanned worriedly around as he listened to his friend's soft sniffles and whimpers.

"H-Hai, Malik…I'm, fine." Ryou tried to smile through his tears, forgetting for a moment that Malik couldn't see him. That thought only made him more depressed, and his smile faltered.

"Why didn't you say anything, Ryou? We could have helped you…" Isis spoke up, reaching over to put a reassuring hand on the hikari only to have the other shy away.

"You don't understand, Isis-san." He shook his head. "Bakura didn't mean for anything to happen, he was drunk…And he felt so bad afterwards." He smiled in remembrance. "He tried everything to make it up to me, and he still apologizes. I forgave him, we agreed to put it behind us…and now this happened."

"But Ryou, he took your innocence." Isis protested, "How could you forgive something like that so easily?" Surprisingly, Ryou smiled, staring up at her with teary eyes.

"At least it was Bakura who was my first…I, I wanted it to be him anyways. It may not have been the way I wished for my first time to be like, but, at least it was with him; and for that, I'm grateful."

Isis stood stone still, a shocked expression on her face along with Rishid. Malik was still trying to process the information, and reached a hand out for his best friend. Ryou grabbed onto it and was startled when Malik pulled him into a hug.

"Ryou? Tell me, please, what happened these past few days? I-I'm so confused. Marik's acting different, your yami's acting different, and you are too, Ryou-chan…Why?"

Ryou sniffled and held Malik tighter. He wished desperately that everything would be alright; he just wanted to burst into tears.

"I don't know if I can explain everything now, okay Malik? Let's just go to the doctors to get you checked out. I'm sure Marik and Bakura will catch up with us there."

"Ryou's right," Isis spoke up. "It's time to leave."

Malik sighed into Ryou's arms, but nodded. It seemed as if he would have to wait a bit longer to find the answers he wanted.

* * *

"Bakura…"

"Get the fuck away, Marik." The tomb robber growled, burrowing further in his arms.

"Bakura, please, I'm sorry…"

"Just, go away, Marik."

"No! Bakura I'm serious, I was a complete ass, I shouldn't have said something like that-"

"Something like what? We both know it's true." Bakura spat bitterly, refusing to look at the other dark. "I raped my hikari. Might as well face the facts and let everyone know. Hell, let's go tell the Pharaoh right now! Maybe he'll be nice and send me to the Shadow Realm!"

"Bakura-"

"It hurts, you know?" the yami interrupted once again, staring out across the lake, resting his chin on his knees, arms still wrapped around them. "I didn't mean for it to happen…I never wanted to hurt him like that…I didn't want to t-take his innocence away from him before he was r-ready!" The thief was now sobbing out loud, choking on his words.

Marik stood back and watched helplessly, feeling his heart throb painfully in his chest. It was his fault Bakura was like this…Dropping to his knees, he pulled Bakura away from the tree and out of his curled position and into his arms.

"Shh Kura, I'm sorry…I'm so so sorry…It wasn't your fault, alright? It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was!" He wailed, clutching onto Marik's shirt desperately. "It's all my fault! Oh Ra, I wish I never came to Ryou! I wish he never found this damn ring!" Bakura clawed at his chest where the golden jewelry rested somewhat desperately before going limp and slumping into Marik's arms fully, crying softly.

"Kura," Marik whispered, his own eyes becoming watery at the sight of the once proud King of Thieves crying in his arms. "It'll be okay, Bakura…Ryou forgave you, remember? He loves you, Kura. Just like me and Malik do…" The thought of his own hikari made him wince; he was worried about him. "Come on lover, let's go catch up with everyone at the doctors."

"I don't deserve to be forgiven." Bakura mumbled, shaking his head.

"Everyone deserves to be forgiven, Bakura." Marik said sternly, pulling the other back by his shoulders to look him in the eye. "We both made mistakes…running away isn't going to make up for them." Bakura's puffed up eyes glowed in understanding.

"You're right, Marik, I'm sorry for being such an idiot." Marik chuckled bitterly and hugged the yami to his chest.

"If anyone was being an idiot, it was me. I'm the one who should be sorry, Kura." He kissed Bakura's lips and stood up. "Come on, let's go meet up with the others."

Bakura sat on the ground and stared out at the lake one last time before smiling and standing up alongside Marik. He mumbled a quick thanks to the other, and began to walk back to Malik's home with the intent of grabbing their motorcycle, Marik following behind him.

* * *

"Malik Ishtar?" A nurse called, holding a clipboard in front of her. Malik blinked and nervously stood up, Ryou steadying him. The nurse ran her eyes up and down the two before walking down the hall. "Come with me, please."

Ryou lead Malik down the hall and into the next room, Isis and Rishid following him. The nurse informed that there'd be a few minute wait until the doctor was there, and then promptly left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Malik fidgeted slightly from his spot on the doctor's table, his hand clenching and unclenching on poor Ryou's fingers.

"Relax, Malik, there's nothing to be worried about-" Isis was about to go on, when her cell phone cut her off. She blinked, but answered it, her face becoming pale when she heard the message on the other end. "I'll be right there." She hung up.

"Neesan?" Malik asked quietly.

"I'm sorry, Malik. There's an emergency at the museum, they need me there as soon as possible along with Rishid." Malik's blind eyes widened.

"But-"

"Ryou will stay here with you, I'll inform the doctor on my way out." She leaned down and kissed Malik's forehead. "I'm sorry, Malik…but I really have to go." Not waiting for a response, she forced a reluctant Rishid out of the room with her, leaving Malik and Ryou alone in the examination room.

"Malik-chan…" Ryou whispered softly, noticing that Malik seemed even more upset. "It's okay…"

"Yeah," he muttered, absently stroking the other hikari's hand, unable to see the blush that lit up Ryou's features. "Hey, Ryou?"

"Hmm?"

"Is what Marik said true? About Bakura, uh…"

"Yes…" Ryou whispered, and felt Malik squeeze his hand. "But, I've forgiven him. He was drunk…"

"But what about all those times he hurt you before?" Malik asked angrily. "How can you be so kind to them after all he's done to you?" There was heavy silence that hung in the air after Malik's outburst, and just when Ryou opened his mouth, the door creaked open.

"Ishtar Malik?" A tall man with piercing blue eyes and brown hair asked, peering over his glasses at the two sitting on the table.

"Um, that's me, sir." Malik spoke up, once again back to his nervous fidgeting.

"Hmm." The doctor hummed thoughtfully, and walked up to the teen, pushing Ryou away, to begin his examination. "What seems to be the problem, Mr. Ishtar?"

"I can't see." Malik said rather bluntly. "And, I can't remember anything that happened for the past few weeks."

"Really now?" The doctor asked, frowning. "Did this just happen all of a sudden? Or was there a cause?"

"I, uh…don't remember."

"He was kidnapped a few days ago." Ryou informed shyly, seeing that Malik didn't have any information to give. "We just got him back this morning."

"I see." He took Malik's chin in his hands and turned him left and right, then moved on to his arms and legs. "He seems to not have any physical injuries other than his eyesight and memory loss. The trauma from his kidnapping could explain the memory loss, but, I haven't a clue why he can't see."

Suddenly, a loud commotion could be heard outside, cussing and swearing followed by screams and shouts before the door slammed open.

"Sir! I'm sorry, but these two insisted on barging in here!" the nurse from before panted, her hair disheveled and staring at the doctor while fearfully glancing behind her, where Bakura and Marik stood.

"Bakura!" Ryou shouted excitedly, sliding past the doctor and nurse to jump into his yami's arms. "I was so worried about you! Don't run off like that again, please!"

"Sorry to worry you, aibou." Bakura mumbled affectionately, squeezing his light to his chest. "I just, needed some time…" Ryou hung on to his other half, and burrowed his face into his chest.

"It wasn't your fault…I love you." He whispered, so only the other could hear.

"What is the meaning of this?" The doctor asked angrily, startling Ryou who jumped out of his dark's arms quickly.

"Um, sorry sir, but…"

"We're close friends of Malik's." Marik informed, stepping out from behind Bakura and shutting the door on the poor traumatized nurse behind him. "Sorry to have interrupted." The doctor blinked perplexedly before turned back to Malik, who was now looking more nervous than before.

"Right. Now, do you remember anything about your kidnapping? Anything at all?" Malik shook his head, a troubled look on his face.

"No. I can't remember anything."

"Ryou was kidnapped with him, is there anything you remember that could have caused this?" Bakura asked, turning to his hikari.

"I wouldn't remember either, I was knocked out by the drug Honda used…"

"There were drugs involved?" Ryou glanced at the doctor and nodded his head. "I see. Well, let me take a blood sample from Malik here, then we'll see if we can get to the bottom of this."

The doctor then proceeded to whip out a needle and tube, turning to the other three in the room. "I'll ask you not to look while I do this, for his sake and my own." Then, he proceeded to get his sample.

Malik flinched once the needle came in contact with his skin, and gasped when he saw painful flashbacks of Honda with a needle, coming at him. Whimpering, he clutched his head when the doctor stepped back.

"Malik?" Marik asked urgently; he had seen the flashes as well.

"I'm…I'm okay." He panted, still clutching his head with his eyes clenched shut. The doctor seemed to understand what had happened, and backed away to give the teen some air.

"I'll go run a few tests on this sample and phone you with the results sometime tomorrow. Meanwhile, I want you to stay put in bed." He looked at the other three. "He's not to have any unnecessary stress, understand?" He seemed satisfied when the three nodded their heads, and left the room.

"Malik-kun?" Ryou asked hesitantly, wondering if he should walk over to him or not. Malik slowly uncurled and sat up, sliding off the table. Marik, who was closest, grabbed on to Malik's hand when the light held it out. Knowing it wasn't Ryou's hand he felt, Malik paused hesitantly, before following where Marik was leading him.

"We brought both bikes, it's a good thing too since it seems as if Isis and Rishid aren't here." Marik said, happy his hikari didn't push him away. "Where did they go anyways?"

"Emergency at the museum." Malik mumbled, letting out a small yawn. He was already worn out from the day's activities.

"Let's get you back to bed," Marik muttered, noticing his hikari's exhaustion. When they reached their motorcycles, however, he became hesitant.

((Would you like to ride with Bakura, instead?)) He asked his light through their link. Malik jumped in surprise at hearing the deep, rumbling voice in his head.

/ H-Huh/ He stuttered confusedly.

((I asked if you'd rather feel more comfortable with Bakura on the bike? ))Marik tried as hard as he could to make his voice sound neutral; he didn't want his light to know how it hurt to know Malik was still afraid of him.

/ No, it- it doesn't matter./ Marik's face brightened considerably.

((Really? You'll be okay if you ride with me?))

/Yeah…/ Malik couldn't help but smile when he felt Marik's attitude shift abruptly. It was, nice, to see his yami in such a good mood.

"Meet you back at Malik's?" Bakura asked, mounting his cycle with Ryou behind him.

"Yeah, see you there!" Marik called, helping Malik situate himself on the bike so he wouldn't fall off. He climbed on himself, and grabbed Malik's hands to make him hold him around the waist. "Don't let go."

"I know…" Malik mumbled embarrassedly, leaning his head on his yami's back when the other started the motorcycle. Checking once more to make sure his hikari was safely on, Marik sped off down the road to the Ishtar household.

They pulled in about fifteen minutes later next to Bakura's bike. Marik smiling when he caught the two cuddling while sitting on the porch. He helped his hikari down, and carefully led him to the front door.

"You okay, Malik-kun?" Ryou asked, giggling when the other light yawned.

"Mmtir'd…" He mumbled, practically dozing on his feet. He fell forwards and landed in Bakura's arms. At first, he was too frightened to move, but because he was too tired, he didn't really care, and hesitantly snuggled into the welcoming warmth.

"O..kay.." Bakura muttered, a bit surprised. He gently swooped Malik up in his arms, feeling him curl up to his chest and moan quietly. Marik and Ryou couldn't help but coo at the scene until Bakura began to glare and motion for them to open the door.

The white haired yami carried Malik upstairs and into the tanned hikari's room; gently depositing him on the bed. The light groaned once more before curling around his pillow into a tiny ball.

"Kawaii…" Marik and Bakura booth crooned at the same time, giving each other grins.

"Oyasumi, Malik-kun…we'll get your blood results tomorrow, and find out what's wrong." Ryou muttered, before cautiously tugging the covers over the teen. He was out like a light.

Signaling to the yami hikari pair, Marik tip toed out of the room and into the hallway, shutting the door behind him when Ryou and Bakura followed.

"I don't know about you two…but I'm already tired out, and it's not even the evening yet!" Marik sighed, leaning up against the wall.

"Me too." Bakura admitted, still feeling emotionally drained from his outburst earlier.

"Would you like me to make you something to eat then?" Ryou offered quietly. "I'm sure Isis-san wouldn't mind loaning me her kitchen…"

"That'd be great, Ryou." Marik strained a smile at the light, frowning when all he received back was a hesitant quirk of the teen's lips before he disappeared downstairs. He watched him for a second, before quickly cursing. How could he be so stupid?

"What's wrong?" Bakura asked gruffly, tugging the yami down the steps.

"I just realized that with all this shit going on with Malik, we completely forgot about how traumatized Ryou is…After all, I bet Honda brought back some, unpleasant memories."

"Shit, you're completely right…" Bakura growled, his shoulders slumping with realization. "Shit, shit, SHIT!"

"B-Bakura-sama?" Ryou peaked his head out from behind the wall to the next room. "I mean, ano, Bakura…Is something wrong?"

"Nothing, Ryou-chan." Bakura lied, and forced a small, reassuring smile at his hikari. "Nothing's wrong…"

"Um, if you're sure…" Ryou mumbled before disappearing back into the kitchen to continue with his cooking.

"How could I forget that?" Bakura muttered as soon as his light was out of hearing distance. "How could I forget my own hikari…even for a moment!"

"Bakura, knock it off. It's been understandable with all the stress that's been going on."

"But, Marik! You're absolutely right…I was wondering why he seemed so reserved. And just now, he added the 'sama' again!" Bakura clenched his eyes shut in frustration, his nails cutting into the palms of his hands. He felt like such an idiot.

"Bakura…" Marik mumbled, once again tugging the dark into his arms and down on the couch, situating the body in his lap. "We're just going to have to give him time, Kura…And be slow with him. He'll be alright, Ryou's stronger now."

"But he's still my light. And he's still fragile." Bakura sighed, tilting his head back, a bitter smile on his face. "I'm a worthless yami, I've barely been there for him his whole life, and when he needs me the most I end up having a breakdown."

"Kura…"

"No, seriously. This whole situation just, sucks." The former thief didn't move a muscle as Marik's arms tightened their hold on him, trying to offer what little comfort he could.

They sat there, each lost in their own thoughts until Ryou once again peaked out from the kitchen and hesitantly made his way over to them, fidgeting subconsciously.

"Um, food's ready." He said softly.

"Mmm, good, I'm starved!" Marik grinned, shifting around until Bakura got off his lap. "What did you make?"

"Oh, just a pasta dish…" Ryou blushed, following Marik as he lead the way to the dining room, unaware of Bakura's scrutinizing gaze behind him. "Should I wake up Malik?" He sat down across from the other yami, Bakura taking a seat next to him.

"Nah, let him sleep for a while," Marik said, piling massive amounts of food on his plate. "Mmm, this looks delicious, Ryou!"

"Thank you…" Ryou once again blushed, happy Marik approved. He glanced over at Bakura worriedly, wondering why the other was acting so quiet. Catching the other's concerned look, and sensing his uneasiness, Bakura smiled at Ryou before helping himself to some of the pasta as well.

"This is really good, hikari." Bakura complimented after taking a bite. "Yum…" Ryou smiled.

"Well, aren't you going to eat anything?" Marik asked, noodles hanging out of his mouth.

"I'm not that hungry," Ryou explained gently, trying to ignore the upset and disapproving looks he was receiving. "Really, I'm fine…"

"Just eat a little bit, Ryou." Bakura said sternly. "Let's not have this conversation again."

Ryou scowled a little, but eventually gave in and made himself a small plate, picking at it with obvious distaste. He yawned, but politely covered it up with his hands, and rubbed at his eyes.

"You look exhausted, Ryou." Marik observed, just then noticing the bags under the teen's eyes. "Maybe you should take a nap with Malik."

"But, Isis and Rishid will be back soon…" Ryou protested, "And besides, I don't want to accidentally disturb Malik while he's sleeping."

"Marik's right, you look down right drained." Bakura spoke up, still watching his light like a hawk, "Did you not get enough sleep last night?" Ryou flinched.

"Uh, no, I was fine," Ryou lied, wincing at how obvious he sounded. Both Marik and Bakura were looking more upset than before which was in turn making him even more nervous than he already was.

"Tell you what," Bakura started, surprisingly not to nag his other about the previous night. "Why don't you go get some rest while Marik and I do the dishes, okay?"

"But-"

"No buts," Marik scolded, a glimpse of a smile on his face. "Now, get your skinny butt upstairs and into bed."

Ryou looked between his yami and Marik, trying to figure a way out, but eventually sighed with defeat and did as he was told.

"Thanks, Ryou." Bakura smiled sincerely as the hikari made his way up the stairs. Ryou gave him a small smile back before disappearing down the hall.

"He probably had nightmares." Marik sighed.

"Yeah," Bakura said quietly, cleaning off the table. He glanced at Ryou's dish and wanted to scream in complete frustration over how little was on the plate and how Ryou didn't even look like he touched it. "Do you, do you think Ryou might have an eating disorder?" It hurt to ask, it hurt even to think of it as a possibility, but Bakura had to make sure he wasn't overreacting.

"I don't know, Kura. He might." The blond yami flinched at the thought, "Let's just see if he gets any better over the next few weeks, okay?"

The phone rang, startling the two out of their somewhat serious conversation. Marik rushed to grab it so the noise didn't wake his light up.

"Ishtar residence." He answered, trying to make his voice sound like Malik's.

"Hello, Marik."

"Isis." The yami scowled. "What is it?" The girl sighed tiredly on the other end of the phone.

"Look, the emergency here is bigger than I thought, and it's going to take a couple days to fix, so, Rishid and I won't be home for the rest of the week." She explained, frowning. "I'm trusting you to take care of him while we're gone?"

"Of course," Marik said, although he was inwardly seething. How could Isis abandon her brother now of all times?

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Yeah, whatever. I have to go now." He hung up, and felt arms wrap around his waist.

"Isis?" Bakura asked, playing around with the end of Marik's shirt.

"Yeah, she and Rishid won't be back for a few days. Apparently work is more important than family."

"Well, think of it this way. Now we'll have more time to try to get Malik and Ryou better again, without any interruptions."

"Yeah, I guess your right." Marik leaned back in Bakura's embrace and quickly kissed the other's lips. "I'm still sorry for upsetting you…"

"It's okay, Marik." Bakura shook his head, nuzzling against thick strands of blond hair. "I forgive you. Now, come on. Let's go check on the lights."

They quietly padded up the stairs, and peeked into Malik's room to see Ryou curled up to Malik's side, both sleeping quietly. Marik and Bakura both shot each other grins before silently making their way downstairs and into the living room.

"So, any ideas on what to do while they're out?" Marik asked, falling backwards on one of the two sofas in the room.

"Not a clue." Bakura sighed, "Any ideas on what to do when they wake up either?"

"Uhhh," Marik scratched his head sheepishly, "Wow, there really is nothing to do, is there? Um, we could watch the television thing until they wake up?" Bakura sighed, and plopped down on the end of the couch, curling up by Marik's feet.

"Yeah, that sounds good, I guess."

Marik reached to the coffee table, about to grab the remote, but was startled when the phone began to ring. Cursing, he leapt off the couch and grabbed the nearest one.

"Ishtar residence, Malik speaking." He answered, once again changing his voice to sound more like his hikari.

"Marik? It's Yami."

"Pharaoh?" Marik blinked, then scowled. "Whaddya want?"

"Just checking up on how Malik and Ryou are doing…Are they alright?"

"…Malik's not doing too good, actually." Marik winced, "He's blind and has no memories of what happened to him."

"Blind? How the hell did that happen? I thought you healed him!" Yami demanded, although Marik could detect a hint of shock in his words.

"I did. We don't know what caused it so we took him to the hospital or something. Right now we're waiting for his blood test results."

"Alright, well, Yugi and I'll be calling to check up on them, alright? I take it Ryou's alright?"

"No physical harm done, emotional however…" Marik let his statement trail off, twirling the telephone cord nervously.

"Ah, I understand." Yami said, his deep voice laced with sympathy. "Well, thanks for the information. I'll talk to you later, Marik."

"Yeah, see ya later pharaoh." Marik hung up the phone and turned back to the couch, blinking at Bakura's annoyed face. "What?"

"The phone woke Ryou up, and I'm guessing it must have woke Malik too." Bakura growled, standing up and heading to the stairs. After quickly checking his link, Marik found that Malik had indeed arisen as well.

"Shit, they only slept for about a half an hour…"

They once again quietly opened the doors, just in time to see Ryou wipe at his eyes quickly and flash a false smile at them.

"Hi Bakura-sa…Bakura!" He chirped. Bakura winced and immediately began to look upset, striding over to the bed quickly and clasping Ryou's hand.

"Ryou," He said sternly, trying to ignore the sting when Ryou flinched at his touch, "You've been having nightmares, haven't you?"

Ryou immediately bowed his head so his hair covered his eyes, not answering.

"Ryou? Nightmares about what?" Malik spoke up, startling the other three occupants who had forgotten he was awake. Malik stared ahead of him, a concerned look on his face as he reached out a hand to grasp onto his friend's other one.

"N-Nothing, Malik…" Ryou stuttered, tears leaking out of the corner of his eyes. He squeezed his yami's hand tighter. "I'm sorry Bakura…"

"There's nothing to be sorry about, aibou. Absolutely nothing." Bakura hissed, bringing his light's hand to his mouth and kissing each fingertip. "It's okay to have nightmares, alright? Just, don't keep them a secret. If you can't tell me, tell Marik or Malik okay?"

"B-Bakura, I…"

"He's right, Ryou." Marik finally spoke up, walking around to the other side of the bed, where his own light sat. "It's perfectly normal to have bad dreams, and be scared. Just, don't hold it in, okay?"

"I'm sorry." Ryou whispered, sniffling as he caressed the side of Bakura's face with the hand that the dark one had been kissing.

"Will someone _please _tell me what's going on?" Malik threw his hands up in exasperation. "It's bad enough that I can't see anything, but I'm totally confused as well! _Why _are you all acting so friendly towards each other? I don't understand!"

"Malik, settle down…" Marik muttered, placing a hand on his light's shoulder.

"I will not calm down until someone explains to me what went gone these past few weeks!" Malik said stubbornly, shrugging off Marik's hand, even though he knew he could get in trouble for it.

Ryou and Bakura looked at each other nervously.

"Malik, we just don't think it'd be healthy to let you know everything yet…"

"I don't care if it's healthy or not, I want to know!"

"But, Malik…"

"Ryou. How would you feel if one day, you went to sleep knowing that your yami hated and abused you, then you woke up and all of a sudden he's acting as if he's your best friend and you have no idea why?"

Ryou winced. He understood what Malik was saying, but at the same time didn't know how to tell him.

"Someone, please just tell me…" Malik whimpered, closing his eyes in frustration and gripping onto the covers around him. Suddenly, his unseeing eyes flew open in shock as a pair of lips suddenly enveloped his own, the familiar feeling sending a tingle down his spine. The warmth disappeared just as suddenly as it appeared, and Malik blinked in disbelief, slowly reaching a hand up to feel his lips.

It was silent. Malik almost couldn't tell that there were three other people in the room with him if not for their slow breathing. Suddenly, a small sound caught his attention, and he slowly reached his hand up, encountering a face covered in tears - his yami's face.

Marik had kissed him.

The face jerked back from Malik's touch, and suddenly the teenager felt something drop into his hand. He heard rapid footsteps move away from him, then the slamming of a door.

Still in a daze, he slowly fingered the object in his hands, realizing that it was a necklace of some sorts…

Wait a minute…

-

"It fits you perfectly, and it brings out your eyes…I won it for you. Do you like it?"

-

Crying out, Malik grabbed onto his head as memory after memory of the days he forgot replayed themselves.

He could vaguely feel someone shaking him before his eyes rolled in the back of his head, and he passed out.

* * *

Chibi B: Gah, I know...This chapter was super boring and random...But, I'm running out of ideas and I can't seem to find how to END this!

Taski: Loooooser!

Chibi B: I know! But, yeah, this chapter was roughly 7000 words - the longest chapter in a while so, I hope you enjoyed at least SOME of it:waves: Until next time!

R&R! And please, if you have any ideas - please share! I might take some into account! 


	12. Chapter 12

Chibi B: Holy crap. It's been three months since I've last updated::cries: I'm sorry! As you know, life's been hectic, yadda yadda, and well, I just haven't been able to find the time or motivation to write..but I'm trying to fix that!

First of all, I want to thank the reviewers for the last chapters...they almost made me cry, seriously. You guys rock!

And a special thanks to Mia (Miaka) because you really inspired me foralmost allof my fics..I may borrow your idea for RoMP (You'll get credit! XD)

And another special thanks to Nobodynow, who reviewed RoMP with the most creative death threat ever! It freaked me out, and made me laugh at the same time...XD Seriously people, if you're going to threaten to kill me, be descriptive! You also inspired me to get off my bum and write.

On another note, this chapter isn't as long as I wanted it to be...21 pages, and only 5200 words. And the last thousand or so are completely rushed and crappy...but that's because I want to hurry up and work on the other chapter, I think it'll be an easier one to write.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

* * *

-----

"Shit! Malik! Wake up, Malik!" Bakura yelled, shaking the now comatose teenager.

"I'll go call the doctor!" Ryou screeched frantically, his eyes wide and panicked as he stood up and bolted down the hall and stairs. He bumped straight into a tearful Marik, but was too alarmed to offer any sort of comfort as he rushed to the phone and dialed the hospital Malik was at earlier.

As he relayed the information to the doctor's, Marik stood and listened with a horrified expression before he ran back up the stairs and into his hikari's room.

"Malik? Oh Ra, this is all my fault…" He muttered dropping down next to the bed. Bakura was still cradling Malik and trying to wake him up gently. The teen's eyes fluttered open, and he let out a small whine.

"Marik?" He spoke feebly, while his hands fumbled around blindly for any sign of his yami. "Yami?" Marik grasped onto his light's searching hand and held it to his cheek.

"I'm here, Malik. I'm here…"

"I remember going to Ryou's…And, and the necklace at the carnival…" Malik whispered, his voice wobbly as he tried not to start crying. "Sorry for hurting you…"

"No, no." Marik shook his head, "You didn't hurt me Mal-chan…Are you alright? Do you, do you remember anything after that?" His last question was asked almost frantically.

"My head hurts." He muttered feebly, managing a half smile. "And, I still can't see…I remember falling asleep while watching the fireworks but, that's it… " Malik couldn't see how his yami's face fell at the confession, or the way Bakura held on to him a bit tighter.

"Well, it's an improvement." Marik muttered, stroking his light's hand. "I think you should try to sleep some more…Ryou's calling the hospital now to see what we can do to help."

"Alright," Malik murmured, yawning. "I'm so sorry for hurting you, Marik…But…why did you kiss me?" Marik remained silent, and slowly set down Malik's hand before letting it go completely.

"Go to sleep, Mal-chan…" He whispered. Sensing that his dark didn't want to talk, Malik wisely kept his mouth closed, and nodded. He tried to snuggle back down into the mattress, but two arms were holding him back.

"Um.."

"Sorry, Malik…" Bakura muttered sheepishly, finally releasing his hold on the teen. "Get some rest, okay?" Once again, Malik just nodded wordlessly before almost immediately falling asleep.

Marik and Bakura quietly exited the room so they wouldn't wake Malik up. As soon as the door was shut, Bakura grabbed hold of the other dark and buried his face in his chest. Marik paused, then quickly wrapped his own arms around the thief.

"It's not fair…Damnit!" Bakura cursed, shaking in Marik's arms with his eyes clenched shut. "Why did this have to happen? He doesn't even remember…"

"I know, Kura. I know." Marik murmured, stroking the other's hair gently before tugging the dark off of him and smiling reassuringly. "Let's go see what's taking Ryou, okay?"

"Yeah.." Bakura managed a small smile as well, and followed Marik as he slumped down the stairs.

"Ryou?" Marik called, heading into the living room. He spotted the white haired teen sitting on the couch, biting his nails nervously. He jumped when his name was called, and turned around to face the two.

"Oh, um, the doctor said that there really isn't anything he can do…And that we'd just have to make him as comfortable as possible while he's having his flashbacks…" Bakura eyed Ryou suspiciously.

"Are you okay, Ryou-chan?"

"Hm? Of course Bakura-sa." He paused, and took a deep breath, exhaling shakily. "Bakura."

Bakura simply stared at him, before walking over around the couch until he was situated in front of his light, noticing immediately how the other seemed to stiffen. Without a word, he placed both hands on the side of Ryou's face, gently brushing his thumb against the soft cheeks.

"Ryou," He breathed. "Ryou…What can I do to make you not afraid of me? Just name it, Ryou and I'll do it. I'll do anything."

"Bakura…" Ryou's eyes welled up with tears against his will. "I-I'm sorry…"

"There is _nothing _to be sorry about Ryou." Bakura growled fiercely, although his eyes were soft and wet with tears. "Don't apologize for something that's not your fault."

"But-"

"But nothing, hikari." He used one of his hands to brush back a lock of Ryou's hair, smiling. "You're beautiful Ryou, you know that? I'll do anything just to make you happy…" Ryou whimpered, closing his eyes, allowing a few tears to spill down his cheeks.

"S-Say you love me?" He whispered hoarsely, his eyes still clenched shut, as if afraid of rejection.

"I love you…" Bakura whispered back without hesitation, and pulled Ryou forward to give him a quick, chaste kiss. "I love you, I love you, I love you…" Each murmur was accompanied by a quick kiss somewhere on Ryou's face, causing a true smile to finally break up on the teen's face.

"I love you too, Bakura." This time he didn't stutter, and grinned up at his dark somewhat proudly. Something brushed against the top of his head, and he blinked, reaching a hand up to grasp at the item and pulling it down. It was his Change of Heart plushie…

"Thought you might want it," Marik mumbled, shrugging while he leaned over the back of the couch, his arms crossed comfortably. Ryou smiled, and turned his head to give Marik a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you…"

"No problem, love." Marik grinned, "Now, since you didn't eat anything or get enough sleep…"

"But, I'm not-"

"I have an idea!" Marik interrupted, cutting off Ryou's protest. "I'm going to take you out to eat!" Bakura and Ryou blinked.

"You're what?"

"Going to take him out!" Marik shrugged, smirking. "You can stay here and take care of Malik while I get Ryou some food in his stomach."

"Um, but…"

"No buts Ry-chan!" The excited dark slipped over to the front side of the couch and pulled the hikari up. "All ready?"

"I…guess…?"

"Alright! Bye Kura!" The dark leaned over to give the confused thief a quick kiss on the lips, winking reassuringly.

"Uh, bye you two." Bakura muttered, returning the kiss to Marik before leaning down and pecking the side of Ryou's cheek. "Be careful, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. We'll be back in a bit!" Marik shouted, already dragging a somewhat dazed Ryou to the front door. With one more shout of 'goodbye' the door was slammed shut, leaving Bakura alone in the living room.

"Well, that was odd." He mused, running a hand through his unkempt hair before slowly making his way to the stairs. He figured that he might as well spend some time with a sleeping Malik rather than by himself.

"So, Ryou? Where do you wanna go?" Marik asked as soon as they began making their way down the street, hands in his pockets. Ryou eyed the other curiously.

"Um. I'm not sure, you're the one who wanted to go out…"

"Ah, yes! How could I've forgotten? What do you say about that coffee shop up the road?" Marik grinned.

"Alright." Ryou smiled up at the dark somewhat shyly as he tried to keep up with the other's fast pace. Seeing Ryou struggle out of the corner of his eye, Marik slowed down and curled one of his arms around Ryou's waist.

"You're too cute, you know that?" He snickered as Ryou's face lit up with a light blush.

"Th-Thank you?"

"And polite too!" Marik went on, his hand reaching inside to brush under Ryou's shirt, barely touching his stomach. The hikari jumped a bit, his face growing more red as he tried not to leap out of Marik's embrace.

"Marik?"

"Yes?"

"Uh, what are you doing?" Ryou asked hesitantly, fidgeting when the yami flicked his fingers around Ryou's naval.

"Flirting?" Marik shrugged, "Want me to stop?"

"Um, no, it's alright." Ryou blushed once again. Why didn't Bakura ever do this with him?

As if reading the other's thoughts, Marik glanced at the other with a small smile.

"Kura's too afraid of scaring you, so, I apologize if I seem a little more forward."

"Scaring me?" Ryou echoed, confusion planted across his face.

"Yeah, you always seem sort of skittish around people who try to touch you in some way…Makes him nervous." Marik explained. "He doesn't want to push or frighten you at all."

"I had no idea…" Ryou muttered, his face crestfallen. It's not like he wanted to feel fear every time someone touched him, and his yami had gone through all that trouble just to keep him from being afraid…

"Hey Ry, knock it off." Marik lightly bobbed the hikari on the back of his snow white head. "We're here. You go grab a table while I go order us some grub!"

Before Ryou could protest, Marik had darted inside the small building and up to the front counter. The teen sighed, and walked over to the table in the far corner; where not many people were seated.

He still felt horrible about what Marik said, and didn't know how to fix it. He wanted to be more open - he really did! But, he was just so panicked about it.

"Back!" Marik sang, startling Ryou from his musings. He balanced two steaming cups of liquid unknown to Ryou along with an unmarked bag and looking as if he were having a hard time. Trying to be helpful, Ryou quickly grabbed the two glasses from Marik's hands and set them down on the table so the yami could sit down across from him.

"What is this?" Ryou asked quietly, staring at his steaming mug.

"For you, hot chocolate. For me; good old coffee." Marik grinned, taking a small sip and humming his appreciation. Ryou smiled happily and drank a bit of his as well.

"Thanks!" He chirped, looking quite content as he cradled the cup in his hands.

"Don't thank me just yet," Marik smirked and held up the bag. "Guess what I got you to eat?" Ryou frowned lightly.

"I already said I wasn't very hungry," He said softly, not confessing that the mere thought of food made him sick to his stomach. Marik's grin grew wider.

"Trust me, you'll love this."

"Alright…" Ryou sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he eyed the package warily. Marik reached inside, Ryou's stomach tightening with dread, until he pulled out something that made Ryou's eyes widen and mouth water.

Cream puffs.

Marik blinked when as soon as he had the treat out, it was swept out of his hands. He glanced at the teen who was now almost gleefully biting into his favorite food, moaning lightly. The yami's mouth went dry at the sound, and wordlessly he went to pull out another cream puff to hand to the beaming teen, only to blink yet again when he realized the bag was missing from its previous spot, and was now in Ryou's clutches.

Bite after bite, Ryou finished off the sugary treats one by one, giggling to himself every now and then while glowing with happiness.

"Uh, Ry-chan? You might wanna slow down there.." Marik cautioned, and Ryou shot him a distrustful glare, hugging his bag of treats possessively to his chest. Marik laughed. "I'm not gonna take your cream puffs, babe."

"Mrf." Ryou pouted cutely, and resumed eating. Marik shook his head and smiled, glad he overheard from Malik one day about how Ryou went crazy over cream puffs. It also made him relieved that Ryou was actually eating willingly. He shifted in his seat, smirking wickedly as he got on idea. He shifted again, pulling off his shoe and slowly moving his foot over to the teen's legs, running it up and down the other's thigh.

Ryou froze in mid bite, before squeaking and turning bright red, trying not to jerk in his seat. Smirk still in place, Marik repeated this action, snickering at the muffled yelp.

"Mariiiiik!" Ryou whined, then to Marik's utter surprise, returned the playful antic and ran his own foot up Marik's legs.

"You, you!" Marik sputtered, gaping at the innocent look he received back, before he burst out laughing. "Didn't know you had it in you, Ry!" The smile on Ryou's face faltered slightly at Marik's words.

"I guess I have to try being a bit more open, huh?" He glanced down at his hot cocoa and jumped at Marik's playful kick.

"You don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with." He smiled, reaching across the booth to ruffle his hair. "Common, finish your drink and let's get out of here, kay?"

"But…" Ryou glanced down at his cream puffs mournfully. Marik caught the distressed look and laughed.

"If you don't finish, we'll take them home." Ryou's nose crinkled and he pouted once again, frowning at the yami. "And I promise we won't touch them!" Marik laughed.

"Deal." Ryou smiled, and carefully folded up the bag before setting it on the table. He slowly sipped at his hot chocolate, fighting back another embarrassing squeak as Marik 'foot raped' him. "Must you do that here?" He whined.

"Yes. I must." Marik laughed yet again, thrilled at being able to do so freely. He'd been completely stressed out by what was happening with Malik, and needed to get out just as bad as Ryou did.

"Alright, I'm done!" Ryou announced cheerfully, prying Marik out of his thoughts. The elder yami smiled and drank the rest of his coffee quickly before standing up and offering Ryou his hand. "Shall we go, love?" Ryou blushed shyly and nodded, grabbing hold of the offered hand.

"We shall."

Malik moaned, and rolled over in his sleep, searching for warmth. He felt two arms enclose around his body and mewled, cuddling into what he supposed was someone's chest. Slowly coming to the realization that someone was in bed with him, he jerked awake.

"Mmmm…" The body held on to him tighter, and began nuzzling the top of Malik's head.

Not really knowing what to do, the blind teen stared ahead, blushing. He had no idea who was holding him at the moment, so, he slowly reached up to feel the other's face in hopes of recognizing him.

The figure moaned once again, and shifted. Malik felt soft strands of hair on his face, and brushed them away gently. They were long, so, it was either Ryou or Bakura.

"Must be Ryou, then…" He mused out loud. Bakura sure as hell wouldn't be holding him!

"Mmm, Malik?"

The teen stiffened. That definitely wasn't Ryou's voice.

"Malik? You okay?" Bakura asked groggily. "Did I wake you up?"

"Um, no." Malik squeaked, now blushing brightly. Bakura still hadn't removed his arms, and he was beginning to feel just a teensy bit uncomfortable.

"Okay good. Go back to sleep." Bakura grumbled, and pulled the hikari closer to his chest, smiling contently. Malik tensed at first, but then relaxed as Bakura slowly ran his hands up and down his back. It was soothing and he almost immediately started to nod off again, if not for the voices he suddenly heard downstairs.

Bakura sighed, and forced his eyes open before sitting up and stretching. "That must be Marik and Ryou…"

"Where'd they go?" Malik asked quietly, sitting up as well. He rubbed at his eyes, somewhat frustrated at not being able to see still, and scowled.

Bakura noticed the scowl, and shook his head. He could only imagine how isolated the teen was feeling at the moment.

"They went out for a bit. You wanna grab some dinner now?"

"I'm not that hungry…" He muttered, but slid out of bed anyways, carefully balancing on his feet.

"Well, try to eat at least a bit. You skipped lunch, you know." Bakura said, checking the digital clock that was sitting on the desk. "And it's kinda late."

"It is?" Malik blinked. "What time is it?"

"A little after nine."

"Well, I guess I could eat a little." Malik shrugged, then looked a little uncomfortable. "Uh, can you help me down the stairs?"

"Of course!" Bakura grinned. Maybe this meant Malik trusted him a bit more? Said teen held his hand out nervously, and Bakura instantly latched onto it, carefully leading him out of the room.

"Thanks…"

"No problem, Mal. Stairs." He said gently, watching Malik carefully for any signs of unbalance. He didn't want Malik tripping now, did he?

"Malik! Kura! Glad to see you're up!" Marik called once they made it down the stairs. "Have a nice nap?"

"We did until you woke us up." Bakura smirked, still holding onto Malik's hand.

The light blushed, and tilted his head to the side to hear everything better. Where was Ryou?

"Were we too loud? I'm sorry!" Ryou apologized frantically, looking somewhat flustered. Malik snickered lightly; Ryou was sometimes just too sweet.

"Nah, I was just joking, Ry-chan! Relax!" Bakura laughed. "So, did you and Marik have fun?"

"Yes! We did!" Ryou nodded his head rapidly, his face lighting up with a smile. "He bought me hot chocolate! And cream puffs!"

"Well, you sure know how to make someone happy." Bakura smirked, nudging a blushing Marik.

"I guess so." The yami grinned. He glanced over at Malik. "You doing okay?"

"Me?" Malik asked, not quite sure if the question was directed at him or not. "I'm fine."

"Good! Well, let's all get something to eat then."

"I'm not hungry anymore though." Ryou pouted. "You forced me to eat in the café."

"I didn't force you to eat anything, Ryou." Marik laughed, "You ate those creampuffs yourself! And this time, you'll be excused for not eating anything, but, at least sit at the table with us?"

"Yeah, I missed my hikari." Bakura pouted, snaking his free arm around Ryou's waist, surprised when Ryou didn't flinch or move away at all. Instead, the teen actually leaned into his embrace willingly.

"I could never deny you, Bakura." Ryou giggled, smiling brightly. Bakura seemed to radiate happiness as he tightened his hold on his light and kissed the side of his face.

Malik stood still, kind of lost. Bakura was still holding his hand, but he didn't know what was going on around him.

"Um, guys?"

"Oops! Sorry Mal-chan!" Marik apologized, tugging the teen away from Bakura's hand. "Malik and I will grab some of that leftover pasta. You and Ryou go sit down."

"Alright, don't burn anything, Marik!" Bakura called, snickering lightly as the other yami flipped him off before disappearing into the kitchen. He steered Ryou into the dining room and sat down on one of the chairs before pulling Ryou onto his lap. "So, you had fun?"

"Uh huh!" Ryou nodded, smiling. He was still, surprisingly enough, holding his bag of creampuffs to his chest protectively.

"What'd you do?" He asked curiously, reaching out for the bag only to have his hand slapped lightly. He chuckled. "Okay, okay, I won't touch them!" Ryou giggled.

"We, talked a bit," Ryou faltered a bit, as he remembered their conversation. "Um, he 'foot raped' me…" Bakura choked and began coughing.

"He what!"

Ryou began giggling, and showed Bakura what he meant with his own foot.

"Oooh, I see…" Bakura sighed, shaking his head lightly. "Anything else?"

"Mm, not really." He smiled, "But I had a good time!"

"And you ate something too," Bakura muttered, his hands running over Ryou's ribs. "You really worry me sometimes, hikari." The light frowned and bit his lip guiltily.

"I, I don't mean to…"

"I know you don't," Bakura said hurriedly, kissing Ryou's cheek. "I just wish you'd eat more. You're practically emaciated, Ryou-chan."

The teen frowned and looked down at himself. He supposed he was a bit small, but never really paid any attention. In fact, he thought he could afford to lose a few pounds.

"I promise I'll try harder." Ryou smiled, "But, I still don't see any reason to get upset."

"If you say so." Bakura sighed.

"Just sit down on the counter, okay Mal? I'll get everything ready." Marik said, lifting Malik up onto the counter, ignoring the teen's sudden squeak.

Malik listened as his yami made his way through the kitchen, pans and pots clattering together along with a few curses.

"Um, Marik?"

"Yeah, babe?" Marik answered casually, not really paying much attention.

"B-Babe!" Malik sputtered, now an interesting shade of red. "Did you just call me babe!" Marik froze, and turned red himself.

"Uh, no! Of course not…Must be hearing things! Yeah, hearing things…" He muttered, going back to what he was doing.

"I was not hearing things." Malik snapped, feeling a bit braver now as he scowled into the direction he thought his yami was standing. "Why'd you call me that?"

"Must have been a slip of the tongue," Marik shrugged, trying to keep calm. "Sorry."

"Sure." Malik sighed, "Slip of the tongue." He could tell his other was lying, but didn't really want to know the full truth just yet. He had to agree with Ryou and Bakura, he just wasn't ready…

"Well, I'm finished gathering all the stuff. Let's head out to the dining room." Marik said cheerily. He set down the items in his hands before helping Malik down off the counter, looking a little lost on what to do.

"I can find my way in there by myself." Malik muttered, as if he knew what his yami was thinking, already feeling his way to the doorway.

"You sure?" Marik asked, biting his lip worriedly. He didn't want Malik to hurt himself.

"Hai. I'll be fine." Malik sighed, keeping his hands on the wall as he felt his way around the corner and in to the next room where Ryou and Bakura were waiting.

As soon as Ryou got sight of him, he rushed off Bakura's lap to grab onto Malik's wavering hands.

"Come on, Malik, sit right here." Ryou chirped, directing the light to the seat next to his. Bakura pouted a bit, but couldn't help but smile at the two. Even if Malik didn't know they had gotten together, the two lights always looked adorable with each other.

"What's that big grin for, Kura?" Marik asked with a smirk on his face, setting the plates on the table and plopping down in a chair.

"Hmm, I don't know, why do you think I'm grinning?" Bakura retorted, leaning back with his arms crossed behind his head.

"It all depends." Marik answered cheekily, helping himself to the pasta before making Malik a plate too.

"Really?" Bakura asked, sounding amused. "Depends on what?"

"Uh," Marik blinked, looking a little lost. "It depends on…on…I think I might've confused myself."

Ryou giggled, and even Malik snickered a bit at the dark. The yami sulked while eating his food, Bakura laughing at him the whole time.

"You guys are mean!" He whined, only causing Bakura to laugh harder.

"You should see your face!" He choked, "You look like a pouting Malik!"

"Hey! I resent that…" The hikari muttered, frowning. He dug back into his meal happily. "This is really good, Ryou-chan!"

"Thank you." Ryou smiled politely. "I'm glad you're all so fond of my cooking."

"Your food is always good!" Bakura nodded, "What would we do without you?"

"Probably starve." Marik answered. "I can't cook, you can't cook, Malik- wait, can you cook, hikari?"

"Um, yeah actually." Malik squirmed around, feeling everyone's eyes on him without seeing. "But I'm not that good. Ryou's meals are ten times better than mine."

"I wouldn't say that!" Ryou chirped, "You make the best chocolate fudge brownies I've ever had! And don't you deny it!" Malik blushed.

"You never told me you could cook…" Marik mumbled, chewing on another portion of his pasta. "You'll have to make them sometime."

"Alright." Malik shrugged, yawning slightly.

"Are you still tired?" Bakura asked, an eyebrow raised in question. Malik nodded sheepishly. "Well, I guess we can all go to bed then after this. Hopefully we'll get your test results back tomorrow as soon as possible."

"Yeah," Malik sighed. "I'm getting tired of not being able to see anything."

"We know, Malik. We know." Marik sighed. "Well, I'm done."

"Me too."

"I'll do the dishes then!" Ryou smiled, gathering up everyone's dirty plates and whisking them into the kitchen before anyone could protest. Bakura shook his head exasperatedly.

"I'll stay and help, you go help Malik get ready for bed."

"Okay, c'mon Mal-chan." Marik said, pulling his light up and cautiously leading him down the hall.

Bakura watched them go, smiling tenderly all the while. Malik seemed to be feeling at least a little better; he was acting as normal as he could without his eyesight. Sighing, he turned to head into the kitchen, preparing to deal with his cleaning-obsessed aibou.

Ryou was quietly humming to himself, scrubbing plates and various other utensils with a small smile on his face. He looked so happy and carefree right then, that Bakura couldn't help but pause to savor the scene. When he decided he did enough gazing, he slowly slinked over behind his light, wrapping his muscular arms around the other's frail waist.

Ryou squeaked in surprise and dropped whatever he was holding back into the sink, his face flushing.

"B-Bakura! Don't do that!" He whined, tilting his head back to pout at the smirking yami. Bakura chuckled, and tightened his grip.

"But you're so irresistible! I couldn't control myself," Bakura joked, nibbling lightly on Ryou's neck. "You have a beautiful voice by the way." His hikari's face flushed even more.

"Thank you…"

"No need to be shy, hikari." The dark mumbled, nuzzling against Ryou's cheek, his chin resting on the teen's shoulder. "You should sing more often."

"I'm not that good," Ryou protested, relaxing against his counterpart, his eyes closed in content.

"Hmm," Bakura purred, "I love you, Ryou…"

"Love you too, Bakura." Ryou sighed happily, bringing his hands down to cover Bakura's, swaying slightly. "Love you so much…"

"Hikari," Bakura whispered, blinking back tears. He didn't know what to say; and found himself tremendously upset and content at the same time. Ryou turned around in the dark's grasp, dirty dishes long forgotten as he leaned upwards to envelope Bakura's mouth in a passionate kiss. The dark groaned, and immediately pulled Ryou as close as he could, tongue delving into the moist cavern, tasting all that he could of his light.

A soft moan only encouraged him to continue, hands slipping under the back of Ryou's shirt, pulling the teen closer before one reached up to tangle in his hair.

Ryou was on fire. He could no longer control his quiet moans or mewls of pleasure, and nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt his yami's hands on his lower back. When he felt as if he was going to pass out from lack of air, he pulled back panting, his eyes still closed in rapture.

"Bakuraaa…" He moaned, his voice carrying on an almost desperate tone as he gasped for breath. He needed his yami. He needed Bakura to show him how to not be afraid anymore. "Please…"

"Please what, hikari?" Bakura asked softly, his eyes half lidded, licking his lips in remembrance of the previous kiss. "What do you want me to do?"

"T-Touch me…" The light begged, eyes wide and pleading. He grasped Bakura's thin shirt in his small fists, tugging almost desperately. "I, I need…" He trailed off, not knowing the answer, but knowing that he needed something- something only Bakura could give.

The yami was shocked at the request, gaping wide-eyed at his pleading light. He wasn't sure what he should do- he didn't want to hurt Ryou, or scare him in any way by going too fast.

"Ryou, are you sure-?"

"Positive, Bakura! Please!" Ryou trembled, placing inexperienced kisses on his darker half's jaw. "We, we don't have to go all the way, just…_please._" That was all it took for Bakura before he forced Ryou's mouth up to his own again, tongues entwining erotically as he clumsily stumbled out of the kitchen with Ryou still in his arms, falling backwards on the couch in the living room, his light landing on top of him.

"Tell me if I'm going too fast," Bakura panted, pausing to catch his breath. He wanted to go slow for Ryou, show him just how pleasurable things could be. Cupping his hand behind Ryou's head, he slowly guided him down in a small kiss, his other hand rubbing up and down the teen's back in what he hoped was a calming manor.

Ryou trembled in his dark's arms, responding to the kisses eagerly. When Bakura's traveling hands reached his bottom, he yelped and bucked his hips in surprise, gasping when the movement sent bolts of pleasure through his body.

"Oh, God…" He cried out softly, biting down on his lower lip as he continued to rock his hips.

"Ryou!" Bakura choked, his hands coming up to grasp his light's hips. "Ra, hikari…I love you…"

"Love…you too…yami-aaah!" Ryou gasped for breath, finding himself unable to stop his thrusts against his dark. "Kuraaaa…"

"Shit, Ry! Slow down!" Bakura groaned, his hands grasping Ryou's hips with a strong grip, forcing him to stop his movements. He grinned widely when his light began to whimper softly, making little pleading sounds in the back of his throat. "Shh, it's okay Ryou-chan…I promise I'll make you feel real good…"

"Bakura…" He begged softly, hands entwining with his yami's

"Hush, hikari. I'll take care of you."

I'll let you're imaginations run wild on this one. XD Kura and Ry either did some heavy grinding, or gave hand jobs. Your choice. D

"Marik," Malik blinked, cocking his head to the side curiously, "did you hear that?"

"Ah, hear what?" Marik asked, feigning innocence as he glanced nervously at the door. He'd heard all right. And boy was he shocked! He never thought that Ryou was willing for that much physical attention yet…

"That noise," Malik muttered, looking completely confused. "It sounded like a moan, do you think Ryou's okay?"

"Oh, I'm sure he's fine." Marik forced a laugh, quickly shutting the door to the room when they heard another sharp cry.

"Marik-"

"It's just the wind, hikari!" Marik interrupted, gently pushing his light towards the bed in the corner of the room. "Now, enough worrying, you need some rest!"

"But-"

"No buts, little hikari of mine. Bed."

"Fine." Malik sighed, climbing onto the mattress and underneath the covers. "Where are you going to sleep?"

"Ah, well," Marik scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I thought that I'd kinda, share your room, if you don't mind that is…" Malik blinked, then shrugged.

"Well, I guess that's fine. Are you going to sleep in my bed?"

"Uh, yeah." Marik coughed, actually blushing. "If that's okay."

"Um, okay." The tanned light fiddled with the bed sheets shyly, his own face lit up with a blush. He scooted over closer to the wall, leaving enough room for Marik to climb in and settle down next to his hikari. He shifted nervously. "Goodnight, Marik."

"Night, Mal-chan."

Within minutes the two were asleep, when Marik's arm reached over to enfold his slumbering light, the other snuggling comfortably in place with a small smile as he dreamed.

"Marik…"

* * *

Chibi B: Yay! A sort of lemonish thing with Bakura and Ryou that you've all been waiting for! XD Even though they didn't go all the way! I wonder how they'll react when they wake up? How will Marik act? And Malik's test results will be finished, maybe we'll find out what's wrong with his eyes! I have no clue what's going on the next chapter, but,I can only hope that these questions will be answered! XD

R&R! You have no idea how your reviews motivate me...thank you so much!


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